Running head: THIS I BELIEVE

This I Believe
Ilana Berry
Seattle University

THIS I BELIEVE
Abstract
Social justice is something that will play heavily into my career as a school counselor.
By taking on this role, I am becoming an advocate for student needs, whether it is a safe school
climate, school supplies, or additional support to be successful. In this paper I discuss my

personal beliefs surrounding social justice, how it will drive my future professional practice, and
what kind of challenges I may face along the way.

THIS I BELIEVE
This I Believe...
As a professional school counselor, I believe that it is my job to treat my students
equitably and ensure that every student no matter their race, cultural background, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, or gender has the tools they need to be successful to
whatever path they choose. I believe that being a social justice advocate for my students means
being there for them no matter what the issue, advocating for any resources and support they
might need, and helping to create a safe space for them at school. I feel like advocating for

social justice also means working with the community around the school to truly create change at
a more systemic level.
As a school counselor, I believe that it is entirely my responsibility to help promote social
justice in the school environment. Ratts, DeKruyf, & Hayes (2007) state that social justice
advocacy is a necessary skill that all school counselors need to possess (pg. 91). I feel very
strongly that social justice advocacy by everyone involved in the school community will bring
significant improvements to educational outcomes for all students (Berry, 2013). Social justice
is so important that the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) has built their ethical
standards around principles of social justice, stating Professional School Counselors have an
obligation to the students, who are to be treated with dignity and respect as unique individuals
(ASCA, 2010). This is a really substantial statement to me, and one I will carry with me always,
not only as a school counselor, but also as a person. ASCAs ethical standards will be at the core
of my professional practice, and will guide my decision and actions.
As a school counselor, I will have many opportunities to actively promote social justice.
Part of being a socially just counselor means being in tune with what the school community
needs. By doing needs assessments I can evaluate the needs of individual students and make

THIS I BELIEVE

sure that my students feel heard and acknowledged. These needs assessments will allow me to
identify areas of weakness in the school community, and help me to focus my efforts on areas or
students that need a little extra attention. Furthermore, I can use my position in the school to find
creative methods that will bring the school community together and teach upon the students,
faculty, and administrators what social justice means and how important it is.
Because social justice is something that needs to be happening at all levels, there will
always be challenges when it comes to advocating for change. I do believe that change can
happen on smaller scales, say within a school community, but for change to truly be long lasting,
it must happen at a systemic level as well. Furthermore, it will be exponentially harder to create
change at a smaller level if at the systems level there is resistance. Griffin & Steen (2010)
discuss how school counselors must expand how they see and respond to student needs. They
talk about how important community involvement is, and that by engaging more community
members counselors and administrators can be more successful in closing the opportunity gap,
keep the school climate positive, and retain teachers from one year to the next (pg. 76). I
absolutely agree that community involvement is essential to creating big changes; the more
people that school counselors can get on their side the better. We alone cannot affect change.
However, I also fear that the wider we throw our net, the more chances we are giving others to
challenge the changes that we want to make. Being an advocate for systemic change is not going
to be easy. Change will not happen overnight, and it is unlikely that everyone in the surrounding
community or even with the school community itself will agree with what we are trying to do.
In the face of adversaries, we must help others lead the charge and take a stand against
injustices and inequalities that exist in the schools. Only then will school counselors afford

THIS I BELIEVE

themselves the chance to see change toward transformative ends (Griffin & Steen, 2010, pg.
80).
I chose the path of school counselor because of my belief in social justice. Before
entering this program I may not have known the term social justice, but I have always operated
with the belief that people are people, and no one should be treated poorly because of how they
look, where they are from, or whom they choose to love. I will be putting so much of myself
into my school counseling, so I dont think it will be possible to separate what social justice
means to me as a person and what it means to me as a school counselor. They are one in the
same. My social justice philosophy isnt a hat that I can hang at the door when I leave for the
day. It is the reason why I want to be a school counselor, and it is the reason why I will advocate
for change as a school counselor.
In conclusion, I am entering into the field of school counseling knowing fully that I while
have not chosen the easiest path, I have chosen a rewarding path. It is impossible to know what
my career will look like in three, five, or ten years, but what I can say today in this moment is
that I am ready and willing to give it my all. I am excited to be considered an advocate for my
students, someone who is in their corner and will not only fight for them but will also fight along
side them. This quarter has really illuminated how social justice can look different depending on
the context, and I think it will be extremely helpful to use these differences when applying social
justice to school counseling. The more I know, the better I can advocate for my students.

THIS I BELIEVE
References
American School Counselor Association. (2010). Ethical Standards for School
Counselors. Retrieved from
http://www.schoolcounselor.org/files/EthicalStandards2010.pdf.
Berry, I. (2013). School Counseling: A Belief Statement. Unpublished manuscript, Seattle
University.
Griffin, D. & Steen, S. (2010). A Social Justice Approach to School Counseling. Journal for
Social Action in Counseling and Psychology, 3(1), 74-85.
Ratts, M. J., DeKruyf, L., & Chen-Hayes, S. F. (2007). The ACA advocacy competencies: A
social justice advocacy framework for professional school counselors. Professional
School Counseling, 11(2), 90-97.