Meet Mr. Delaney, the new school counselor at St. Edward. Mr. Delaney found out about the counselor position at St. Edward by applying to a lot of different schools as a counselor, but he found exactly what he was looking for at St. Edward as a small, private, Catholic institution at the high school level. Mr. Delaney had known he wanted to become a counselor ever since he was in high school. His high school counselor helped him through rough times, and he wants to help pay it forward in the same way that his counselor helped him. His favorite part about being a school counselor is meeting with the students. “I enjoy getting to process your emotions, trying to help you guys figure out the best ways to deal with tough emotions.” He also enjoys helping the seniors with their plans for the future. “It just makes it really exciting because I get to hear what you guys are applying to with your futures and trying to find the best and brightest and just doing what I can to help you succeed.”
Mr. Delaney attended Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, where he majored in psychology. He grew up in Skokie, Illinois, and his favorite part about living there was how much there was to do in that area, such as hopping on a train to Chicago, going to the mall with his friends, or going to restaurants of various cuisines. Mr. Delaney has two siblings: a younger sister and a twin sister who is five minutes older than him and doesn’t let him forget it. Since childhood, his favorite hobby has been playing board games because he can just relax and talk with people while playing with them. His favorites are Betrayal at House on the Hill and Rummikub. Mr. Delaney’s favorite movie of all time is Baby Driver because every single scene is connected to the music playing in the background. Mr. Delaney’s biggest inspiration in life is his grandfather because he was a very caring and thoughtful person who went out of his way to help someone in need. A quote that Mr. Delaney lives by is “Not every day is good, but there is good in every day.”
If Mr. Delaney were to give one piece of advice to high schoolers today, it would be to be yourself. “No matter what, be yourself because at the end of the day, you are the one who has to live with yourself, and you should do what makes you happy.” He is really looking forward to getting to know and getting acclimated into the community. “I wasn’t just trying to apply to a job; I was trying to apply to a family, a community that I could hopefully stay at for a long time.” As counselor, Mr. Delaney is excited to get to know the community and form connections with the students.
