Assigned to Dulaney High School (DHS) students with last names starting with L – M, Katie Owens has been counseling for ten years. She has a colorful personality and enjoys walking at the park and camping with her two young children. 

Although Owens knew she wanted to get into counseling, she was initially unsure of which kind. She was eventually drawn to the school system and completed her master’s degree. Now Owens is determined to help her students succeed and would like them to know that school counselors are here to support them in any way that they can.

When asked if she would rather find a rat in her kitchen or a roach in her bed, Owens said, “I’m going to go with a rat in my kitchen. I get really freaked out about something like that in my bed.”

Next in succession is Emanda Lenet, the counselor assigned to students with last names starting with N – Sh. Lenet is a passionate individual with a wide array of interests and hobbies. She loves reading, baking, cooking and athletics; the counselor grew up with an interest in sports and currently strives to run at least one half-marathon annually. 

After working in college admissions for a while, she realized that she enjoyed being in a high school and attended Johns Hopkins to earn her master’s in school counseling. Since then, she has dedicated herself to the students at DHS.

“I think that some students don’t realize how many students do come to see us, and that it is confidential. And if you’re having a bad moment, stop by to see your counselor. We might be able to help you resolve an issue, or if not, give you a space to reset yourself so you’re able to continue throughout your school day,” said Lenet.

Lenet’s commitment to her own children became clear when asked if she’d rather always have a full gas tank or a full phone battery. 

“I drive my children everywhere after work to all their activities, and I need to have a full battery on my phone to coordinate where I’m driving.”

The final student-assigned counselor is Danny Skelton; he is assigned to students with last names starting with Si – Z. 

Skelton grew up in Florida, later moving to Maryland to play soccer in college. In addition to being an avid soccer player, Skelton enjoys helping people as much as possible.

“In high school I was always the person that people came to with their problems, and I just enjoyed being in that position,” said Skelton.

After receiving his master’s in school counseling, he found himself at DHS, where he coaches the soccer team in addition to counseling students. He wants to remind students that their counselors are always there for them.

“Sometimes students [think]… we are here to get them in trouble or to make problems more difficult. And the reality is, we’re here as their advocates. We’re here to fully support them,” said Skelton.

When asked whether he’d rather have x-ray vision or magnified hearing, the counselor chose magnified hearing.

“I think it’d be cool to just be able to listen,” said Skelton.

Last up is 2006 DHS alum, Julie Wheeler, Dulaney’s College and Career Readiness counselor. Her office is open to all students and is a great resource for college and career research. 

Wheeler has much advice to offer:

“Almost every decision you make while in high school is affecting what you do afterwards. So I would say it’s never too early to start thinking about those sorts of things,” said Wheeler.

At home, she enjoys reading and caring for her young daughter. When asked whether she’d rather be able to speak to all animals or speak all foreign languages, Wheeler chose the latter.

“You could just go anywhere and be able to communicate!” said Wheeler.

DHS is incredibly lucky to have such a talented and passionate counseling team. Student assigned counselor Donna Fritz spoke on the groups’ dedication.

“Many times, when there’s a choice of working from home or coming into the office, all of us come into the office. This team at Dulaney is very devoted,” said Fritz.

It is highly recommended that all DHS students use this opportunity to better their school lives. Who knows, maybe a short 15-minute talk could make all the difference.

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