Counselor Anna Theien is new this year. She works with students with last names H-O. When she isn’t busy guiding students on their path to graduate, she is there to help others and allow them to have a comfortable space to be.

I picked Theien as most influential, but really she should have been chosen for most determined as well. She never gave up to get to where she is now and that inspires me. She is an immigrant from Russia and because of that, she had to decide if she wanted to pursue a career in the United States. She could have been a stay-at-home but instead, she has spent 7 ½ years total in college getting two masters, one in German and English and one in school counseling.

Theien is very self-disciplined. She stays organized and always keeps trying. She is persistent in her job, but still finds time for her hobbies. Theien is very passionate about hiking and goes as much as she can, even though she is busy. She reminds me to stay passionate about something and to find time for those things.

Theien believes that the path you take to get to your goal is better than reaching the goal itself. The mistakes, the times things get tough, and the memories you gain on that path is what matters most. She stayed patient on her journey of getting the job she has now, and still reminded herself that it is okay to make mistakes.

One Monday morning, I was having a tough problem. I came into her office in tears wondering what I should do. I remembered a conversation we had about controlling reactions and feelings. This problem was something out of my control, and she encouraged me to stay distracted on school work and I did. When something is out of Theien’s control, she stays calm with her reaction and focuses on the things she can control. She taught me this and I will use it for the rest of my life.

Theien gave me a push whenever I needed it. I’m a procrastinator so a lot of times I don’t get my school work done. She had me stay in her office with her whenever I needed motivation to get it done. I probably wouldn’t be as close to graduating as I am now without her help.

She had guided me the entire year, not only just school work, but with life as well. When she talks about the journey of life, I think about my journey and what I should be doing better for myself. My journey with her has been nothing but growth. I’ve learned so much from her, not only how to control my emotions, but how to stay determined in my dreams. She has always been there for me to help me with whatever I needed.