Alumni Profile: Lindsay Holbrook '00

Professional School Counselor
Major at Linfield: Psychology

What are you doing now?
I am a professional school counselor in Arizona, working in large suburban high school of 2,200 students. I work with approximately 420 students, helping support their academic needs and aspirations, looking to the future for college or work, and with personal/social issues they might be experiencing. My passion is to help all kids dream big and do big while they are here with us for those four short high school years. I work with students in grades 9-12, of all levels, abilities and aspirations. Being in such a large urban/suburban area of Phoenix, I am able to connect with so many different people and backgrounds. My specialties have included working with students whose first language is not English, refugees, students receiving special education services, foreign exchange students as well as high honors students. Every day brings new challenges and opportunities and I embrace the chance to learn and grow and share my knowledge of the school counseling profession. This year, I had the honor of being named a semi-finalist for the Arizona School Counselor of the Year through the Arizona School Counselors Association.

Tell us about yourself.
Upon graduation from Linfield (first in my family) and also having the honor to place at nationals in track and field in the women's hammer throw (All-American status!), I took a brief few weeks before embarking on the greatest adventure of my life. I took a position as an assistant language teacher for the Japanese Exchange & Teaching Program (JET) in western Honshu, Japan. I worked for two years as an ALT, teaching English, creating memories and taking adventures that would set the stage for graduate studies. I was accepted into the master's program in school counseling and guidance at the University of Arizona (a proud Wildcat two times over!). I graduated with my degree and certification to be a K-12 counselor in the state of Arizona in December 2004. I have worked at all levels in the profession, but found my home in working with high school students. I am an active member of the Arizona School Counseling Association and an advocate of the profession. I live in Glendale, Ariz., with my boyfriend, our dog, and our endless collection of Volkswagen and Cadillac cars (rust no more in AZ!).

How did Linfield help prepare you for your career?
I love what I do and think fondly on the experiences I had at Linfield that allowed me to grow personally and venture out professionally, from the small town of Sutherlin (7,500 people).

Linfield and my experience continues to inform me in my profession as I help high school students set goals and establish plans for their own college adventures and challenges. The close-knit atmosphere, accessibility, and support helped me think and dream outside the box.

Being a first generation college student, and having eager adults and staff at Linfield nurture me and encourage along my way continues to this day.