Michelle Reid, a counselor at Anthony Wayne High School (AWHS), brings a unique perspective and a wealth of experience to her role. Originally from Bexley, Ohio, Michelle’s connection to AWHS stems from her husband and his family, who are proud AW graduates.
She took a nontraditional path to becoming a school counselor, first attending Bethany College in West Virginia, where she played volleyball and majored in psychology. Afterward, she earned her Master’s in Social Agency Counseling from the University of Dayton. She began her career as a mental health counselor, a field she dedicated herself to for 10 years before deciding to pursue a school counseling endorsement from the University of Toledo.
Michelle served as a school counselor at Northwood Local Schools for 14 years before joining the team at Anthony Wayne High School - a building that she already had experience with.
“When I was pursuing my degree, I completed my internship at Anthony Wayne under Karen Bixler and Jill Schwerer, who were pillars in this field and taught me everything I know,” Michelle recalled. “It was surreal when Karen retired, and I stepped into her position. Hers are extraordinarily big shoes to fill.”
Michelle credits the team atmosphere at AWHS for making her transition smooth.
“At Northwood, I was a team of one, and I often reached out to AW counselors for advice. So, I already knew the camaraderie here,” she said. “Beth Bunde and Karen Bixler were two tremendous and impactful counselors in our department for many years. Thanks to their collaborative relationship with Joe Puhl and Dan Kalo, Lauren Murawski and I were able to join an already cohesive and welcoming team.”
Michelle’s role focuses on supporting students with last names starting with S–Z, planning events like Senior Awards Night, managing scholarships and guiding students through the College Credit Plus (CCP) program.
“CCP gives students the opportunity to take college courses during high school, but AWHS also offers rigorous Honors and AP classes,” she said. “My job is to help students determine if CCP fits in their overall post-high school plan and guide families as they weigh the benefits and challenges of the program to determine the best fit.”
While the school year does have a particular cadence to it: college applications and helping freshmen adjust to high school in the fall, course registration in the winter and graduation preparation in the spring, most days require a large amount of multitasking to ensure students' needs are met.
“We wear a lot of hats and juggle a lot of responsibilities,” Michelle explained. “But if a student comes in needing to talk, everything else stops. They are the priority.”
Michelle has noticed an increase in the number of students seeking support over the years. She attributes much of their stress to the pressures of excelling academically and in their extracurricular activities, and balancing the workload of school, activities, work and home life.
“It’s definitely harder to be a teenager these days,” she said. “They are spread thin. They are always busy, and while many of their activities are enjoyable and fun, they are also working hard to juggle their responsibilities and meet expectations. They don’t get a lot of downtime.”
She said that these pressures can be compounded by maintaining and managing friendships, while dealing with the ever-present influence of social media.
“Peer relationships are such a big part of their lives at this stage and we help them navigate those dynamics,” she explained. “Social media can really exacerbate this stress with competition about what they are doing and how they look, seeing who is hanging out with who - and simply responding to messages and notifications.”
To address these challenges, the counseling department takes a proactive approach, encouraging students and their families to reach out if they are feeling overwhelmed.
“We care deeply about these kids and want them to know we’re here to help. We’ve given presentations on self-care, depression and suicide awareness, and we encourage them to come see us,” Michelle said. “Parents can also give us a call. We can’t help if we don’t know there’s a concern. We want to work as a team with students and their families to get them the support they need.”
While students have challenges to overcome, Michelle says most do adjust well to high school and find it to be an exciting time where they can learn about themselves and determine their next steps in life. She said the most rewarding part of her work is witnessing this transformation in students.
“I know it sounds cheesy, but it really is a gift to see a nervous freshman grow into a confident young adult,” she said. “I like to help them navigate their time here and become someone who really can shine. It’s exciting to be a part of this pivotal time in their lives and being a part of their journey.”
As School Counselors Week approaches, we celebrate Michelle Reid and the AWHS counseling team for their unwavering dedication to supporting and empowering students. Their work truly makes a difference in empowering students to be future ready!