Meg Scamardo takes over leadership at Student Support Services office
New social worker welcomes students while taking charge of counseling center
Meg Scamardo took over leadership at the Student Support Services counseling center at Akins at the beginning of the school year. She previously worked as an intern with previous social worker Colleen Arnold who left Akins at the end of the school year to teach social work at the University of Texas.
October 16, 2018
From schoolwork and relationships to family stress and mental health, students on campus have many sources of stress.
The Student Support Services (SSS) is a service on campus that allows students to receive counseling and resources and attend support groups when needed.
Following social worker Colleen Arnold’s departure from Akins, Meg Scamardo has taken over the Student Support Services (SSS) program on campus.
Scamardo, who graduated from the University of Texas’ social work program, said she decided to come to Akins because of recommendations from teachers who said it was a good school.
“I love working with kids and their families,” she said. “ I thought it was very helpful for others.”
Scamardo isn’t completely new. She has worked with Arnold in the past, so Student Support Services will remain similar to last year.
She said that she will make changes if it is needed for the students and for the school. She won’t know what to change until she is able to evaluate what is working and what needs improvement. “I will continue what Ms. Arnold started,” she said.
She said that having kids telling her that they feel better now that they have talked to her is very important to her and it makes her feel like she did a good job. She said that getting this job was really important to her.
“She’s awesome and very friendly,” senior Miguel Villegas said. Villegas said he thinks it is important to have a Social worker here at Akins because he has seen many occasions where students need to go talk to her or just need a place to be at to calm down.
Some issues Villegas thought students should talk to Scamardo about are issues with relationships, at home, work, school, or if they have a need to talk to someone about their problems.
He said that she is useful for students who don’t have anyone to talk about their problems with. Villegas talked to her about his own problems. Scamardo said the job is tough and can be very draining on her by hearing all the stories and things everyone that goes to her has to go through, but she is proud of the work that she does.
“Akins is such a special school because of the people that work here also because of the students here,” she said. “As a social worker, I’m here to support everyone that needs help.”
