This year Fort Lauderdale High School welcomed Ms. Julia Gannon as the ninth-grade school counselor. This is Gannon’s 11th year as a school counselor. She has worked at all grade levels of schooling at public and charter schools in Missouri and Florida.

“Experience has shown me that everyone has problems, and people’s problems are relative to their own situation, and no one should ever judge someone else,” Gannon shared.

As a school counselor, Gannon performs tasks that assist the school’s students, parents, and teachers. The variety of responsibilities keeps her busy. 

“I like how my days are always different,” she explained. “I typically have a list of things I need to do, students I need to meet with, or people I need to call, but then someone will walk through my door with a concern or an issue, and then that will become my priority. School counselors tend to wear many hats and often have to adapt to change.”

Gannon’s goal is to help students achieve their own level of success on whichever path they are working toward. She strives to be the type of school counselor who is approachable, helpful, and fair. She would be pleased to have students think of her as someone who is a trustworthy person who assists, advocates, and listens.  

“I’d like to think that students can rely on me,” she shared. “If there is something that I don’t know or have the answer to, then I will find it out for them.” 

In her spare time, Gannon enjoys spending time with her dog, traveling, and reading. She has a Pitbull mixed breed rescue dog named Kitty, and they enjoy going to the beach together. She has traveled to New Zealand, Australia, and much of Europe and enjoyed experiencing their culture and food. Her favorite book is The Secret by Rhonda Byrne because it discusses how a person’s mindset and thoughts can impact their life.

Gannon has an interesting perspective on how she lives her life.   “No one has it all figured out, and if they tell you they do, then they are lying,” she said.  “Do your best to be kind, stay positive, and experience life and its possibilities as much as you can.”