As a counselor, it is too easy to feel unappreciated or to feel as though you aren’t making a difference.

But one former student is here to reassure you that even the smallest acts can make the biggest difference.

Gloria Delores Chin recently wrote a beautiful tribute to her high school college counselor, Dr. Donald Comras, in the New York Daily News thanking him for being “a source of support.”

“Dr. Comras was the sole college counselor for nearly 400 high school juniors and seniors like me. But he changed my life,” she wrote.

Chin said she always saw college in her future, but had no idea how to make it happen. None of the other adults in her life had gone to college. Comras mapped out a plan for her, secured fee waivers, and helped her deal with the “whirlwind of emotions that came with the process.”

Now she is a master’s degree candidate at Columbia University and a spokesperson for New York City’s Department of Transportation.

Chin offered some advice for students and counselors based on her experiences.

“I implore students and parents to spend time not only with their classroom teachers, but with counselors, who are tremendously valuable, often underutilized resources,” she wrote.

“I implore counselors themselves, some of whom have fallen into old routines, to not only ask students about their goals and dreams, but to stay on them to ensure they’ve taken the necessary steps. Let them know they’re not alone and ensure they understand how these moments will shape the rest of their lives.”

Ashley Dobson is NACAC’s communications manager for content and social media. You can reach her at adobson@nacacnet.org.