As soon as I stepped into the doors of Hayfield Secondary School, I knew a lot would change for me. Though I gained new friends, experiences, and even leadership roles, I gained a lot of new anxieties. There was a huge weight on my chest as I tried to adjust. It was a struggle trying to get someone to talk to outside of the school building, so after a few emails and calls, my mom came to me and explained that I would be meeting with Hayfield’s Military Life and Family Counselor. 

Throughout all of my junior year she heard my ups and downs, gave me advice, and aided me in the toughest year of high school. I would tell my friends about who I would go visit after the school day, and I could barely answer their questions. It was hard to explain who this counselor I was seeing actually was. That’s why I asked myself: What does she do for our school?

Alex Dooling, more known as Ms. Alex, is the person who military connected students might turn to in case they need a second voice of reason. In her own words she refers to herself as “mental health helper” and explains she is “a resource for military connected kids that are dealing with adjustment, bullying, self esteem.”

During the school day she creates bulletin boards, meets with students, and is responsible for welcoming military students throughout the school aiding them in their transition to their new school. She makes her students feel special and well connected to their school in the best ways with her reliability. Ms. Alex mentions that the day seems to drag on sometimes slowly, having a lot of down days, but “when [she has] appointments sent up, it makes [her] day go faster.”

To her, the military student life is incredibly different from the average student populations’.

“I think military kids face different issues, growing up and moving every 3 years,” Ms. Alex said. “Moving across the country, moving across the world, different languages and different cultures are all different experiences that [most students] don’t go through.”

As a military kid herself, she said she wishes she had someone like an MLAFC (Military Life and Family Counselor) in her school, which further shows the impact that one individual can have on so many students. 

With this in mind, Ms. Alex makes a point of her favorite part of her job. She says her favorite part of her job is working with kids.

“If I don’t get to see my kids, the day drags by for me because I have to then find things to occupy my time,” Ms. Alex said.

She makes it clear how important her students are to her and what she will do to make them feel comfortable. 

Though many don’t know of her place in our school building, her impact on the kids she helps makes all the difference to make Hayfield a more connected and welcoming school.