Apollo counselor will be greatly missed
By Eliav Appelbaum eliav@theacorn.com

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers FRIENDLY FACE- Apollo High School counselor Maureen Everakes in her soon-to-be-vacated office. Students often leave notes of thanks or endearment on the white board there, like this one from a student in the parenting program. Everakes is leaving Apollo after nine years at the school.

It's a well-known fact around Apollo High School that the most comfortable couch on campus sits in the office of school counselor Maureen Everakes.

Good thing, too, because in her nine years of counseling students at Apollo, the sofa had no shortage of takers.

"Kids try to take naps on it," Everakes said. "They're not supposed to sleep on it."

After working for the Simi Valley Unified School District for 22 years, Everakes, 55, is set to retire at the end of the year.

She will continue working parttime at Monte Vista School in the fall, where she assists with about 250 independent study students. The Simi Valley resident spent her first 13 years in the district as a teacher at Justin and Mountain View elementary schools.

The transition from teacher to counselor required Everakes to employ a new mindset.

"I think this job takes a lot of patience," she said. "Students think changes should happen overnight. They don't. They take time."

With three full-time counselors for the past several years Apollo has had a higher ratio of counselors to students than most public high schools. A counselor spends an hour getting to know each student during the screening enrollment process.

"We build a relationship the whole time they're here," Everakes said.

Fellow counselor Jackie Hardie presented her with an honorary Apollo diploma at last Thursday's graduation ceremony.

"You have given us so much," Hardie said during the commencement. "We appreciate everything you've done."

Unfortunately, Apollo will not be able to fill Everakes' position- literally. Budget cuts will leave the continuation school with only two full-time counselors for next school year.

Even though she's only responsible for onethird of Apollo's student body, Everakes knows and interacts with every student on campus. Anger management, selfesteem and healthy relationships were among the issues addressed in the various support groups she helped run. She also helped with the Minor Parent program.

Everakes said she was happy to help students tackle their problems and personal issues.

"It's been very rewarding, very rewarding," she said. "Some of these kids (Class of 2008) I've known for three, four and sometimes five years. I've forged a bond with them. I'm sad to see them go but joyful also to see their big growth and their changes in attitudes."

Everakes, who's lived in Simi Valley for 26 years, hopes to travel around the United States with her husband, Howard, a lawyer and Long Beach State professor who also recently retired. Their son, Dan, 29, lives in San Diego and is studying for the bar while their daughter, Emily, 27, is a human resource manager in Seattle.

Principal Tracy Rohlfing is grateful for Everakes' hard work.

"Maureen is an absolutely fabulous colleague," Rohlfing said. "She's very direct and great with the kids. She's been a great part of our team."

Everakes said she'll miss everything about Apollo- including her comfortable couch.