Thomas Encourages Students

Erica Thomas has been a member of the Guidance Department at Highlands going on 4 years. During her time here, she has helped countless students, giving advice on everything from scheduling classes to various issues regarding friends and family.

Thomas is one of the first administrators incoming freshman get to meet, and one of the first things she tells them is that her door is always open and she is always happy to meet with students. This isn’t an exaggeration – Thomas is always happy to sit down and have a conversation with any student worried about something.

She genuinely cares about her students, which is why so many students have nice things to say about her.

Junior Jimmy Waugh has had Thomas as a counselor since freshman year.

He said, “I think Mrs. Thomas has impacted the school in a positive way. Mrs. Thomas has helped me with scheduling. If Mrs. Thomas wasn’t here I think the school would miss her because she has a very positive personality and is very helpful and is always there for us.”

Thomas stated, ”My goal is to help students be able to identify personal strengths that can be applied to achieve their academic, career, and personal/social goals.”

Junior Keely Reitman believes Thomas delivers on her goals, stating, “She has helped me with some academic issues and social issues. Many times she has helped me organize and prioritize.”

Reitman continued, saying, “Mrs. Thomas has made my HHS experience so much better. She is very caring. You can really tell that she cares about you and wants you to succeed when you talk to her. [Without her] Highlands would be less great because I feel like I’d be struggling a lot more.”

Thomas has impacted many people’s lives and has helped many students with various things. She delivers good advice and brings positivity to the school. Whether it is in the halls or the guidance office, make sure to thank Mrs. Thomas for all she does during National Counselor Appreciation month.