Orange Coast College counselor Andrea Lane was one of four community college counselors recognized by the Orange County Department of Education at the 2020 Orange County Virtual Counselor Symposium held on Nov. 10.
More than 700 school counselors and education leaders attended the virtual event, the largest group to attend the Symposium in its history. This year’s theme focused on nurturing student resilience, a reference to the unique challenges brought on by the COVID-19 global pandemic.
“The most rewarding part of my job is helping others. Being someone on campus that our students feel safe with, to not only talk about academic issues, but personal issues as well,” said Lane in a pre-recorded message shown to those in attendance. “Students, just like any other human being, are looking to feel seen and heard. I have an opportunity to make a difference and help them on their path to academic success.”
The symposium gave attendees a chance to participate in breakout sessions focused on topics such as “Building Student Hope and Self-Efficacy Through Career Development” and “College Admissions: How the Pandemic Made the Process Pivot.” There were also sessions to address the well-being of educators, including how to manage emotional and physical fatigue.
This year’s symposium was held in coordination with the Los Angeles and Orange County Regional Consortium of community colleges, OC Pathways, California Community Colleges and the Future Built Orange County Career Education initiative.