After graduating from the University of Arkansas with a degree in architecture, Coppell High School counselor Heather Crumpton shifted career paths by teaching AP U.S. History at Plano West High School. Crumpton earned a master’s degree in school counseling from Amberton University and moved on to be a guidance counselor at Terrell High School. Crumpton’s career changes are why she encourages students to embrace the shifts in their own lives.

After spending almost a decade as a teacher, what pushed you to become a counselor?

I love guiding students to become self-advocates. We have students for such a short time before they become emerging adults, so I like to see them overcome challenges and guide them to become individuals who will one day change the world. 

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What experiences as a teacher made you pursue counseling?

With AP U.S. History, I found that there were students who wanted to take AP courses but were nervous about it. I created bridge programs where I would start tutoring before school, after school and during lunch for those who had never taken an AP course to show them study skills and tips they might never have learned before. 

In doing so, I learned their struggles and how they needed to grow in their academic and social abilities. Over time, I spent more time with them and realized that this was what I was enjoying. Seeing students grow and showing them how to study and deal with academic stresses was something that I couldn’t replace. Everyday felt like a success that way. 

How do you counsel students when they feel stressed?

In whatever major or pathway you’ve set for yourself, things can shift. It’s OK to constantly reflect and switch your choices around. When you’re taking many AP courses and you feel overwhelmed, it’s OK to sit back and think about what you’re taking each class for. Is it something that you’re taking for your major in college, or is it just something you’re not as passionate about? It’s OK to take a look at alternative courses, like dual credit or honors courses. Use your AP courses to focus more on what your pathway is as you start thinking about college. 

What should sophomores and juniors at CHS keep in mind?

There are two big things I want our younger grades to know.

   1. We all hit obstacles and roadblocks, even as adults, in places where we struggle. You can say, “This has happened, this is my part in it, here is how I’m going to grow from it.” You need to be able to look back and say what your mistakes were and what you learned from it. When you get into college, the expectation is that it’s all on just you now. If you’ve never faced an obstacle like that, you won’t know what to do. I always say to my sophomores and juniors, congratulations for hitting that roadblock. Now that you have, you know how to pick yourself up, and you know where to seek answers. You have a set of tools to help you move forward when you hit that wall.

   2. We never stop learning. When you learned to tie your shoes, you were learning. When you figured out that your friend likes certain jokes you make but not others, you were learning. We’re always learning. Find a way to enjoy it and constantly engage in it, because you’ll be doing it all your life. I don’t want students to think learning ends in the classroom or school. It’s every moment of their lives. That’s one of my goals as a counselor, as well.

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