School Counseling Program
Geraldine Castelli
After receiving my Masters at The School of Education at St.
John’s University, I chose to pursue an Advanced Degree in the
School Counseling program based on the reputation of the program
and its professors. This was one of the best decisions I have
ever made. As a student in the School Counseling
program, I had the chance to work with professors who were caring,
intuitive, and most of all engaging. The professors in this
program provide their students with hands on experience by
utilizing the counseling lab, selecting videos appropriate to class
discussions, setting up trips throughout the semester, and giving
their students the opportunity to apply the skills they learn by
conducting in class mock counseling sessions with live
feedback. For example, my mentor, Dr. Ferdinandi, has
always stated that he looks to make the connection from what
students learn in the classroom to the practical experience of the
‘worldroom’ and to create not just better counselors, but better
people. And being in this program has done just that for
me. The lectures, the experiences, the internships, and the
connections I have made here have made me a better counselor and a
better person.