Whether it’s helping students navigate issues in their personal and family lives or guiding them through college applications, public school counselors work tirelessly everyday to ensure every student has a support system.
This year hasn’t been easy for students in Nashville: 2025 began with a fatal shooting at Antioch High School, heightening anxieties around school safety for students and their families. Meanwhile, the mental health of children across the state is worsening. According to the 2024 “State of the Child in Tennessee” report, more than 1 in 4 high school students say their mental health is mostly or always not good. Nearly the same amount reported seriously considering taking their own lives.
Throughout all of this, school counselors have been on the front lines supporting tens of thousands of students in Nashville, some of whom would not otherwise have ready access to mental health services.
The 200-plus counselors in Metro Nashville Public Schools are able to provide short-term counseling to students, and can refer them to long-term support providers. Their efforts help minimize some of the stressors faced by local students, all so they can remain focused on their education. Thanks to our area’s school counselors for helping create a healthier and more equitable community for everyone.
—Julianne Akers
Reporter, Nashville Scene and Nashville Post
Our notes of gratitude to the community advocates, health care workers and others who make Nashville special
