The guidance department has experienced three staff changes in counselors in three years, and one group of students has been particularly impacted.

Those whose last names fall in the middle part of the alphabet have been shuffled from Spero Tshontikidis to Hannah Smith, and now will be working with Kara Lujan. 

“We’ve had a lot of turnover in one particular position, the middle part of the alphabet,” Guidance Director Mike Drake said. “We had Dr. Spero and then we had Mrs.Smith and now we’ve got Mrs.Lujan, who is committed to [the job] and I see her staying here for a long time.”

Drake said having a consistent guidance counselor is important.

“Students [who] are in that portion of the alphabet are going to have somebody that they can go to and know, that they’re going to be here next year and the year after that and the year after that,” he said.

Lujan started working in guidance in July after holding similar positions elsewhere.

“I’ve been a school counselor for over 18 years,” she said. “Before I came to West Shore, I was at Melbourne Central Catholic High School.”

Lujan said she enjoys her new job and likes the atmosphere.

“I think that West Shore is a great school and I get to work with some really amazing teachers and administration and co-workers,” she said. “So it really just makes my job easy to do and a pleasure to come to every day.”

By Saaketh Kesireddy