Staff Feature: The New and Invigorating School Counselor Mr. Justyn Juarez

Mr. Justyn Juarez is the new addition to the counseling team here at Crofton High School. Mr. Juarez works with students with the last names L-Q. Before working here, Mr. Juarez worked as a Substitute Counselor at Broadneck High School.

Before that Mr. Juarez, went to Delaware community college, then went to the University of Delaware, where he got his bachelor’s degree in human services and family sciences. He later got his master’s degree at Wilmington University.

Mr. Juarez said he joined the Crofton Staff because “It was new, I could help set the tempo, and I can kinda bring my own flavor or my own self to a new school and kinda help set the vibe and hopefully make it a very positive one”

He stated that he wanted to become a counselor because he really wanted to “help students like me who didn’t have the support to navigate college as a first-generation college student”.

Junior Hala Malik, a student in Mr. Juarez’s alpha range had some amazing words to say about him. She said “Mr. Juarez helped me change my schedule to better balance my workload with other things I wanted to do. In the beginning of the school year, I was very stressed with homework, but then I talked to him and he advocated for me with admin to help me change some of my classes.”

She also mentioned “ When I went to visit Mr. Juarez to talk about changing classes. He offered a lot of moral support and seemed very determined to help me be the best student I can be so I immediately felt like I could count on him.”

Fellow counselor Ms. Danielle Crankfield said that “Mr. Juarez brings energy and enthusiasm to the school counseling department. He is very easy to work with and fits right in with Mrs. Bulmahn, Mrs. Thomas, and me. Adding Mr. Juarez meant that we all had to change our caseloads, which has been an adjustment for students, families, teachers, and the school counselors. Students are embracing Mr. Juarez because he is so great!” She also stated that “Mr. Juarez is very easygoing. He has a way of grounding us when things get busy or overwhelming”.

Outside of school Mr. Juarez is a very active guy. He stated, “I play in a rec league for softball and I love gardening. He even has a rooftop garden that he enjoys gardening in. Mr. Juarez is also “big into sports”. He plays video games and loves star wars, saying that he can go on and on about it.