Carol McPherson retires

After almost 40 years of high school, Counselor Carol McPherson is finally graduating ... into retirement, that is. Her high school career began at Del Oro High School, where she taught French and Spanish for 15 years. "I loved teaching, I really, really did. But, there came a point where I felt my work was with students, not with subject matter," McPherson said. That was the turning point in her career, and now she has just finished 23 years as the Colfax High counselor. She described her job as helping to open up new ideas, explore options with students and occasionally give them a nudge in a certain direction. "It's not me that makes changes in kids. They make the changes and they grow," McPherson said. "I would like to think that we counselors help kids think about the important questions." Though she said her job consisted of counseling a multitude of problems, mostly she assisted students with making choices for their life's direction, career and college choices. Twenty years ago, McPherson said, if she asked a high school student what his or her plans were for the future, many did not have an answer or had not given it much thought. Today, she said, their answers are different. "I see kids now being very much more wise about the world," McPherson said. "They're still not decided but they're thinking about and articulating their future." She said that more students are now nervous over the pressure to be competitive when entering college while others are choosing alternative forms of continuing education, such as vocational schools and certificate programs. For McPherson, the most satisfying moments of her job are when former students tell her about a college acceptance or a career course inspired by her. But now, at 62, it's McPherson's turn to take the next step in a new direction.Her focus will be on spending some time at home with her husband, Tom, whom she married four years ago, and enjoying activities like gardening. "I tell the seniors we're graduating together," McPherson said. "It's you and me."