Struggling students find solace in their counselors, and this year, Teresa Gebhardt has been added to North’s team of students’ superheroes. Her passion for helping others and working with students shines through as she helps guide them every step of the way.
“I love helping people, and I love helping people realize what they can and cannot do and process that and being support[ive] on the way,” said Gebhardt.
Outside of work, Gebhardt enjoys many things, including reading, watching basketball and going out to eat with her friends. Her dog, Brownie, is her favorite outdoor companion, who she has gone hiking with multiple times.
Born and raised in Germany, Gebhardt moved to the US to study interior design, but eventually switched to psychology once she realized interior design was not for her.
“When I realized [interior design] wasn’t for me, I realized my other love was to work with people and to help them and to listen to their stories,” Gebhardt said.
The transition away from home was a fun adventure for her. While it was sometimes hard to talk to her family back in Berlin, college kept her busy.
“It was exciting, and experiencing college is fun in general. There’s so much to learn, so much to do, so many new people to meet,” Gebhardt said.
After high school in Germany, she pursued post-secondary education in the Chicagoland area. First, she went to Southern Illinois University Carbondale, then to the University of Illinois Chicago, and then got a master’s degree in counseling at Northern Illinois University.
Gebhardt has many techniques to help her students. She connects with them and makes her office a comforting environment. She also has an open-door policy so that students who need help can drop by.
“I keep my door open so whoever needs to pop by can pop by and come in and ask questions, or if they need something, they can start here,” said Gebhardt.
She feels that the most important thing about being a counselor is to care about her students and look out for them. If their choices are not the best, she guides them and helps them make decisions that will affect them for the rest of their life.
“I think that that’s a really important part, [which] is to have my students’ interests at heart at all times,” Gebhardt said.
Sometimes, supporting her students means helping solve some strange problems. For confidentiality reasons, she cannot state most, but she is surprised by students’ ability to pick up on little things that need to be fixed. She enjoys the fact that there is never a dull moment as a counselor.
“The things that come in and out of my door are always fresh and new,” said Gebhardt.
Despite the challenges of being a counselor, Gebhardt enjoys working with students, and she acknowledges that there are qualities a person needs to be a counselor, including patience and perseverance.
“I think that for working with high schoolers, specifically, it has to be a level of patience, but also a level of being able to break down new things that high schoolers are encountering,” Gebhardt said.
She also has advice for students to help them not just in high school, but throughout their lives.
“Have relationships and build relationships. Get to know the people around you and all the supports that are here. Learn what all is available to you,” said Gebhardt.
