Q: How long have you been a counselor?
A: This is my 21st year.
Q: What made you become a counselor?
A: I was always interested in wanting to go into education and went through college in psychology also. I was a classroom teacher for five years, but knowing I enjoyed the psychology, the counseling part, it kinda fit together. So it’s kind of a natural process.
Q: What was your favorite memory of working at PHS?
A: I would say any of the graduations. I love the graduations. Just seeing the seniors, seeing them walk across the stage.
Q: What do you do when you’re not working?
A: I am a parent, so I have two sons and a daughter. (I’m) involved with a lot of things at church. I coach football.
Q: What are your kids’ names?
A: Bailey is my oldest son, Brittany is my daughter and Blake is my youngest.
Q: What is your favorite movie and why?
A: Probably one of my favorites is “Cool Hand Luke.” The acting is terrific and just the storylines behind it. If you saw it for the first time, there’s a lot of stuff you didn’t even expect and see it at all.
Q: What is something that most people don’t know about you?
A: I live in Ohio, I’m a Notre Dame football fan, and I’m a devout Christian. I’ve been married for 29 years.
Q: What is your dream vacation and why?
A: Any beach would be terrific. Anything in the south, in the sun.
Q: What is your favorite part of this job?
A: Any of the interactions with the students, getting to know them, any of the one-on-one part. I really enjoy that. Just knowing their stories, their dreams. That’s probably my favorite part.
Q: What’s your favorite animal?
A: Probably a dog.
Q: What’s your favorite song or artist?
A: I like a lot of Christian contemporary: Mercy Me, Chris Tomlin. One of the things I like a lot is classic rock: Aerosmith, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Elvis.
Q: What’s your favorite way to spend a weekend?
A: With family, relaxing, especially going out to eat for dinners, because I don’t get a lot to eat for the week. Just spending time with family.
Q: Do you have any pets or animals?
A: Yes, a dog. Bear is his name. He is my best friend. He’s 11 so he’s a little older.
Q: What was your first job?
A: First job in education was a 4th grade teacher in a school called Crooksville, Ohio in south Ohio. First job in all, when I was 11, I was mowing lawns. That was one thing growing up, mowing lawns and shoveling snow.
Q: What did life look like before PHS?
A: For me, it was a lot more running around with my children, especially because my two oldest, Bailey is 26 and Britt is 23, so it was just running, getting them to their activities for sports and school.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
A: Taking things day by day. You make mistakes, you have really good days, you have really bad days, but it’s moving on from it. Taking each day as a new day, new adventures, getting through the bad things.
Q: What is your name?
A: Megan Bost
Q: How long have you been a counselor?
A: I was a counselor at Hamilton (Middle School) for five years and then this is my first year at PHS. So, six years altogether. No, then I was one in North Carolina, so seven years altogether.
Q: What made you want to become a counselor?
A: I really just loved helping kids. I always wanted to be in a school setting when I was younger, but I knew I didn’t really want to be a teacher. And when I was younger, I moved around a lot and a lot of the school counselors at the different schools I went to helped me a lot. I just really appreciated all their time and help when I was younger.
Q: What did your life look like before coming to PHS?
A: The year before I came to PHS, I actually left counseling for a year. I was an assistant principal at Warren Elementary School, so I worked with the little kids as an administrator and that’s when I realized I wasn’t done being a counselor yet. I really didn’t like that change of role yet. I do see myself being an administrator one day, but I really just wanted to get back into counseling. So, last year, before PHS, I worked at Warren Elementary, but I still coached in Wood County. So, I would do school all day at Warren, drive all the way here right after school to try to make it to practice, have practice here, and then drive all the way back home. It was a lot, but it was fun. It was a good learning experience, but I am very happy to be back in Wood County as a counselor.
Q: What has been your favorite memory so far from PHS?
A: I think my favorite memory is being back with some of my Hamilton kids. Seeing them walk into my office and they’re like, ‘Do you remember me?’ and I’m like, ‘Of course I remember you!’ And just kinda seeing how they’ve changed since the sixth grade and now, the first sixth graders I worked with graduated last year. So, just being a part of that process is really cool.
Q: What do you do when you’re not working?
A: When I’m not working as a counselor, I’m usually coaching cross country and track. I run all the time, I really like to work out. If I’m not running or working out, I like to read and just relax at home.
Q: What has been your biggest surprise you’ve gotten while being a counselor?
A: I think honestly the biggest surprise is just how receptive the kids are to coming to talk to me. Like gaining their trust, obviously that’s the whole point of counseling, but when it actually happens to you, you’re like ‘Oh my gosh! I am doing the right thing. Kids feel safe with me, they trust me.’ And that’s just like, the coolest feeling in the world is having you guys (students) come and sit down and tell me about your worst days, your life, your problems, and trusting me to keep that and, you know, to help you guys through it. It’s just really an awesome experience.
Q: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
A: That it’s okay to make mistakes. That failure isn’t the end game, you can always come back from it. Mistakes are a part of growing.
Q: What is something that people don’t know about you?
A: I am a really big introvert. I really like to be alone, be in silence. I’m not very outgoing. I like to be by myself when I’m not at work.
Q: Do you have any pets or animals?
A: I have a dog named Ollie. He’s a labradoodle and he’s the greatest thing in the world.
Q: Are there any dream vacations that you would like to take? Any destinations?
A: I travel a lot. I really would like to go to Italy, that’s a big bucket list place. I’ve been to Paris and I loved that and so I would really like to just explore Europe more. I’m interested in traveling anywhere. Anywhere I can travel is a destination that I want to do.
Q: How long have you been a counselor?
A: I started my counseling career in 2001 after getting my master’s degree at Marshall. I became a school counselor in 2008.
Q: What made you want to become a counselor?
A: I took a counseling class as an elective at Marshall during my undergrad in Education and loved it. When it came time to get my master’s it was a no brainer.
Q: What do you do when you’re not working?
A: When I am not at work I am usually visiting with my boys or my dad. Most of my hobbies such as gardening, traveling, hiking, camping, watching movies and crafting are on a backburner right now so I can care for my family and watch my boys compete. I do spend time studying my Bible and unfortunately, digging myself out of social media rabbit holes.
Q: What is something that most people don’t know about you?
A: I was a terrible student and hated learning and school. Education was always a struggle for me, and I didn’t make good grades. I finally got out of my own way and learned how to learn. I now love to learn.
Q: What is your dream vacation destination and why?
A: There are so many places. If I could go anywhere, it would have to be somewhere in nature, near water and remote. Lake, river, beach, doesn’t matter. I love to camp (glamp) and I love nature.
Q: What is your favorite part of your job?
A: My favorite part of my job is doing PEPs (Personalized Education Plans) with my students. I really enjoy hearing about their plans and what they want their future to look like and then brainstorming ideas with them to make that happen.
Q: What is your favorite animal?
A: I am fascinated by and absolutely love all animals, but the raccoon has to be my favorite. I have had several pets and have rehabilitated even more, and they have more personality and comedic energy than any other animal I have had. Dogs are close to seconds. Sorry, Barney!
Q: What is your favorite song/artist?
A: I love all types of music but currently I’m in a 90’s mood (Counting Crows, REM, U2). “How Great Thou Art” is currently my favorite song but it often changes.
Q: What is your favorite way to spend a weekend?
A: With my kiddos all home and safe, having a favorite meal and watching a Steeler or Penn State game or ‘Stranger Things,’ or an ‘Avengers’ movie together.
Q: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
A: ‘This too shall pass.’ Nothing lasts forever, not even the hard times or the struggles. If I can withstand, maintain, or survive for the short period that the difficult time is going to last, life will then get better and it always does.
Q: How long have you been a counselor?
A: I just started back in October.
Q: What made you become a counselor?
A: Before this I was a substitute teacher, and at that time I was in school to be a clinical mental health therapist. Since being in a school, I really like the setting and I think being in a school setting is a great way to be an advocate for kids. So it made me want to switch, so I switched to school counseling.
Q: What was your favorite memory working at PHS?
A: Probably just starting, because I think the excitement and everything, meeting new kids, the staff is super nice, and I think it was just super welcoming and it just made me be really excited.
Q: What are you doing when you’re not working?
A: I like to read and I love to hang out with my dog and husband.
Q: What books do you read?
A: I like fantasy, thriller, romance.
Q: What’s your favorite movie?
A: Well, I’m probably gonna be basic. I love the Harry Potter series, but I just recently watched “The Housemaid” and it was pretty good.
Q: What is your dream vacation and why?
A: I think going to Italy and the reason why, I think it’d be really fun. My uncle was in the Air Force, so his family was always in his postcards, and they lived in Italy for a while.
Q: What is your favorite part of your job?
A: Probably just talking with these kids. Anything about grades, life in general. I like making connections.
Q: What is your favorite animal?
A: As a kid it was a dolphin and it’s still a dolphin, but I think because I don’t see them often, I’d say my dog.
Q: What is your favorite artist?
A: Taylor Swift.
Q: What is your favorite Taylor Swift song or album?
A: I really like the Midnights album. I really like “Anti-Hero” and “Lavender Haze.”
Q: What is your favorite way to spend the weekend?
A: Going shopping with my mom and reading a book.
Q: What was your first job?
A: I actually worked at Cabela’s up in Wheeling, and I looked like a little Boy Scout in my outfit.
Q: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
A: Don’t stress out. Everything happens for a reason.
Q: What’s your biggest pet peeve?
A: People who chew with their mouths open. My husband likes to irritate me.
