Some of the moments that matter most to Lincoln Middle School counselor Aimee Stauffer happen outside her office. They happen in the LMS WellSpace, at school events, during lunch, or when a student wants to share something as simple as a new pair of shoes or a birthday.
For Stauffer, those everyday interactions help students know they have someone they can turn to.
"It opens up space for them so that they know they can come and talk to me about anything," she said.
Her interest in education began at the University of California, Irvine, where she worked part time at a preschool during her junior year.
"I got hooked and became an elementary school teacher," Stauffer said.
She earned a bachelor's degree in sociology with a minor in psychology from UC Irvine. She later completed a post-baccalaureate program there to earn her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. After she began her career with the Los Angeles Unified School District, families started telling her counseling might be a natural fit. She returned to school for a master's degree in counseling psychology in education at the University of Southern California.
That decision brought her to the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District and LMS in 2003 as a counseling intern. A month in, her mentor went on emergency bedrest, and supervising administrator Francis Costanzo took a chance on her as a full-time substitute counselor.
"My first official day was on Halloween and I was dressed as a vampire," Stauffer said. "In knowing me, I love a good laugh, so it was all meant to be."
She said one of the most rewarding parts of counseling is what she continues to learn from students.
"Every single conversation is unique to their experience; it holds its own context and meaning that is special to them," Stauffer said. "It's brand new every single day."
Becoming a parent also changed how she approaches her work.
"Being a mom and learning everyday how to love and care about my own kids has provided me a level of understanding that has made me a better counselor," she said.
Outside school, Stauffer enjoys cooking, reading, going to the beach, attending concerts, traveling and spending time with her husband, daughters and large extended family. As one of 11 siblings, she said, family remains central to her life.
Edited by SMDP Staff