The Corry High School recently added a new member to their staff. Corey Lane Gibson is the school’s new 8th-9th grade counselor, but before we get into that, let’s get to know the new member.

Gibson was born Oct. 8, 1989. Growing up he lived in Youngsville, but he was actually born in Walton Beach, Florida. Along with growing up in Youngsville, he attended Youngsville schooling as well.

In Gibson’s free time he enjoys playing video games, golfing, and spending time with family. Gibson really connects to his students through playing video games because he is also the Esports club Co-advisor. As the interview went on he mentioned that “I connect with kids not just 8th-9th but the Esports club gives me the chance to connect to many kids.” As a counselor, it is important to connect with the kids, and one could infer that Gibson is doing a great job.

When asking Gibson what his favorite quote was he responded with “Strike first, strike hard, no mercy.” It was exclaimed that while the quote in the movie was meant for fighting, Gibson sees it as “If you want to get something you need to go for it.”

With all the wisdom that this new counselor has to share, the next question had to be: What animal would match his personality? To the surprise of many, the answer was not an owl. He said “A penguin because they are fun and full of energy.”

For a counselor having to have the ability to be a people person, it had to be known what his biggest pet peeve was. He shared that, “My biggest pet peeve has to be when people don’t try.” He went on to say, “Effort is a choice, you can take small steps.”

After getting to know the new counselor for his likes and dislikes, it’s time to get to know why he became a counselor. He stated that, “I decided to become a counselor because I wanted to help kids. My previous Job was TSS (Therapeutic Support Staff), but I wanted to make a better impact.”  His previous job was to observe a few kids at a time while they were in class to notice bad behavior and then teach them skills to help them deal with their emotions. He also shared that what makes him perfect for this job is that he is very social, he enjoys helping, and that it is easier for him to connect with people.

For just coming to Corry, it seemed right to ask how he was liking the school and the environment. Gibson stated, “Love it! It was a big transition from my previous job because I was working with younger elementary kids and the older kids were an adjustment.”

When asked if the work environment was good he said, “I enjoy the students, staff and everyone is so helpful.” This became obvious as while the interview was taking place, his next door neighbor, Michael McGinnity, knocked on their shared wall in a rhythm and Gibson knocked a tune back. Gibson has obviously settled in and made friends.

By the end of the interview, it was dearly noted that Gibson had a lot of advice and wisdom to give. He left the interview with two words of advice and encouragement with the first one being, “It’s okay to be upset, but it’s what you do when you’re upset that could be the problem.”

Gibson also had one piece of advice he would like to leave his readers, that being, “Do the best you can no matter what it is, because you can set your mind on anything, you just have to put in the work.”