As a guidance counsellor, my role has recently expanded to include the role of mother, as women take on additional responsibilities in the workplace. Working mothers today require more on-the-job dedication and time away from home and family in order to achieve professional success. Consequently, I have had to assume some of the role of motherhood to thousands of students over the years.

It is vital that future generations benefit from our nurture, concern, and generosity. It will be easier for them to give back to the society, if they have been beneficiaries. This is crucial as mothers now have limited time with their children while juggling their current hectic schedules. In today's society, and particularly in the school system, it has become apparent to me that students require more assistance now than in the past. Sometimes they just want an empathetic ear to listen to the challenges of teenage years.

College application process

The college application process is another area where my role as counsellor has definitely changed. In the past, parents played a more active role in the the process. I can see this role gradually shifting to the counsellor as parents call to enquire, 'Did my child apply to college?', 'Do you know where my child applied to go to college?' These recent experiences confirm my belief that choosing a fulfilling profession is critical when selecting a career. My role as a guidance counsellor to these students gives me a great degree of intrinsic rewards, such as seeing the students many years later and having them express to me that I played a major part in their current success.

As a result of the present economic downturn, the need for scholarships is of paramount importance to our students. Because of this reality, in addition to guidance counsellor and mother, my role as financial advisor has also increased. Many students meet the academic criteria necessary for acceptance to a university or college, however, only a few students are able to adequately cover the high costs of tertiary education. Consequently, to assist with this dilemma, I added a link to my personal website to assist students and parents who are seeking financial assistance to further their studies.

We must carve out the time to invest in future generations. They should be empowered to dress, speak and conduct themselves like winners, so that the world will perceive them as such.

Elaine Grant Bryan, www.elainebryan.com

Matthew Shopshire (front), Garrett Williams (left) with their counsellor Elaine Grant Bryan (centre) and Sandra Weiss. They attend Chamblee Charter High School in Atlanta, Georgia.- Contributed