Top 6 Episodes of 2022 - #4: Finding Our Purpose And Modeling That For Students - Christi Sturgeon

Today our guest is Christi Sturgeon a School Counselor, Broken Arrow High School, and is Oklahoma School Counselor of the Year for 2021-22. We talk to Christi about how important it is to find our purpose and how we can stretch ourselves and model that for students. She shares 7 things that we can do to help students focus on looking forward, and some of the ways that this can have impact. Christi graduated from Oklahoma Baptist University with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology followed by a Master's Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. She is currently both a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a Certified School Counselor.  She started her career in community mental health working at the former Shadow Mountain Hospital as the Assistant Director of Therapeutic Foster Care Services, but quickly learned that the way to really impact children and families early on was by working in the school setting.  Christi is currently serving as a School Counselor in Broken Arrow Public Schools and is in her 25th year.  She was the Lead Elementary Counselor In Broken Arrow prior to moving to the high school and has been recognized by the Oklahoma School Counselor Association as the Emerging Leader Grant Winner (2018) and the Oklahoma School Counselor of the Year for 2021-22.  Christi is passionate about serving her students and helping them prepare for the next stage of life.  She is a strong advocate for school counseling best practice not only in her district but across the state as well through her service on the former Superintendent's Counselor Advisory Council and now as Treasurer and President-Elect of the Oklahoma School Counselor Association.  When she isn't busy with work, you can find her teaching Sunday School or attending band contests as a proud former Broken Arrow Pride Band Mom!