New Guidance Staff at THS

Talawanda has recently undergone change: teachers, athletic coaching, students, and administration. One of the biggest changes was the change in the guidance staff.

Two of the counselors from last year retired, while the other counselor moved. The start of the 2015-2016 school year started with three brand new counselors: Scott Davie, Linda Stanger, and Savannah Schwegman.

IMG_8120

New counselor Scott Davie.

Scott Davie said he decided to work at Talawanda because his wife accepted a faculty position at Miami, which made them move to Oxford. Davie worked as a school counselor at Franklin County High School in Indiana before making the move. “Many individuals that I had met over the course of last year had great things to say about Talawanda as a whole,” he said.

Davie went to high school in Brookville, PA and he earned a bachelor’s degree in biology at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. He received his masters degree in school counseling at the University of Connecticut.

Davie said he believes life should be fun, and students should find what the love. “Work should be enjoyable and that we all need to find a good laugh,” he said.

IMG_8471

Linda Stanger is the counselor for students with last names starting with H through O.

Linda Stanger is a retired educator that worked at Hamilton City Schools for 31 years. Stanger graduated from Hamilton Taft High School and attended Miami University for her bachelors and masters degrees. She also went to Xavier to earn her counseling certification.

Stanger said she decided to work at Talawanda because she “wanted to experience a rural environment as opposed to an urban environment.” Stanger said her favorite thing so far is “meeting the new staff, students, and families.” She has found that students and staff are “exceptionally polite and patient.”

Savannah Schwegman graduated from Talawanda in 2008. She said she “supports students and staff in their personal, social, academic and career development needs.” If you ask what counselors do, she will say “we drink a lot of coffee.”

IMG_8470

Counselor Savannah Schwegman graduated from Talawanda in 2008.

Schwegman was an undergraduate at Miami University in psychology and attended Kent State for school counseling. She explained the reason she decided to work here was because “this is the school that helped me succeed.”

Overall, the three counselors are excited to be at Talawanda. Even though they are brand new, each brings help and experience to THS.