From working through grief and medical-related stresses with children within cold hospital walls, to a more blanketed counselor role in her warmer, dimly-lit office with sporadically placed potted plants, counselor Cara Snell’s career path has winded and grew various heads throughout the years. But one thing has stayed the same: her drive for human connection.

“People are so important for you,” Snell said. “You’re going to go through some really hard times in life. And that’s one thing that is kind of guaranteed in life. We’re not always promised that it’s going to be a good day. For me, personally, having good people in my life, people that will help me with hard decisions, that will help me when life is really hard.”

Through her work as a counselor, Snell is able to lend a listening ear whenever students need it, guiding them through one of the most pivotal developmental phases of their lives. But before becoming a counselor, she taught various electives at Bush High School, including human growth and development, nutrition, fashion design and interior design—which is still a hobby of hers today.

“I loved being a high school teacher,” Snell said. “I loved being able to talk with students to help students with some of their issues or problems. So, it was an easy transition for me to go into being a counselor, because I just value relationships with students.”

First and foremost, Snell considers herself a rule follower that likes to laugh and work with people, all types of people in all their “different ways of life,” she said. In college, she majored in Family and Consumer Sciences, with a concentration in child life, at Louisiana Tech. She was working toward being a child life specialist.

“They walk them through different issues with grief, if they have a terminal illness or if they have an illness that really hinders their life,” Snell said. “I did my practicum at a hospital, [and] I soon found out that I’m an empath. Dealing with some of those really heartbreaking situations was not something I saw for the longevity of my career.”

Instead, Snell moved onto what she saw as the next best career, education, and pursued an alternative certification before moving into teaching pre-kindergarten. For a few years, she believed that was her “big place,” but she wasn’t entirely fulfilled—at least, until her husband convinced her to give high school a try.

“I kept saying, ‘I don’t want to go into high school, they’re going to be so mean to me,’” Snell said. “But as soon as I got into it, I loved it. I just did not realize how much I would love it until I actually got in there.”

Whether it’s in the classroom or her counseling office, Snell’s priority is the students. As a counselor, there’s more paperwork, but Snell considers helping students navigate the harsh terrain of high school to be her reward.

“I’m here for you whenever you need to come in,” Snell said. “You can come in here and be yourself. There’s no judgements here. I’m not holding anything against anybody. I just want to get to know you, and you get to know me, and hope I can support your high school career.”

From the beginning Associate Principal Matthew Warren, who was present during Snell’s interview when she applied for the counselor vacancy at the start of the school year, said that Snell brings both a “wealth of knowledge” but also authentic care for the students to her role as a counselor. She is, Warren said, everything they could want.

“She’s just a very genuine, down-to-earth human being,” Warren said. “It’ll be a year come May, and so she’s done nothing but grow. My trust in her, the team’s trust in her, the faculty’s trust in her, her alpha split, she is everything she said she was, and she’s proven herself to be a very, very reliable counselor and just human being.”

Since day one, Snell has fit into the office seamlessly, counselor Sarah Drake said, and complements the counseling team well. From her student interactions, Drake said she can see Snell’s passion for helping others. 

“I picked up on really good vibes as the kids would say,” Drake said. “As I’ve gotten to know her throughout the year, I’ve just been able to confirm that she’s good people. She’s really kind. She’s thoughtful with her students. It’s very evident that she works hard…it’s nice to know that we got a good one.”

Before coming to Clements, Snell has worked as a counselor for seven years and worked at several schools and districts, including Kempner High School and Lamar Consolidated ISD. Clements marks her third time in Fort Bend ISD. 

“The administration here is very supportive,” Snell said. “The counselors are very supportive. It is something I’ve never experienced before. So, it has been a very big, fresh breath of air.”

Snell made the move back to Clements for her daughter, who is starting kindergarten in Fort Bend ISD. Clements is a relatively short 45-minute drive, which helps Snell save time during the often hectic mornings. Her daughter reminds her to be energetic, Snell said, and doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.

“I have a mixed family,” Snell said. “My husband is…of a different culture than me. Then, we’ve adopted my daughter since she was two days old, and she’s a different culture. My stepson, he is also a mix of different cultures. I just have a very different family, [and] my family has taught me many lessons that I maybe wouldn’t have learned if I didn’t love people who are different from me.”

One such lesson is to not judge people based on their culture, religion or appearance. In the end, everybody needs the same love and empathy, Snell said, and they shouldn’t be denied it based on external factors. 

“The best thing that counseling provides someone is that you get to meet so many different people from so many different backgrounds,” Snell said. “You learn so much about people, because everybody has a point of view…it opens your point of view to so many different ways of life.”

Outside of the office, she enjoys taking walks, watching movies—especially romantic comedies like the classic “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” whereas her husband enjoys more action “man” movies—and listening to podcasts. Her favorites podcasts are “True Crime Junkie” and “IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson.”

“I’ve also started listening to Amy Poehler’s podcast,” Snell said. “I like the funny ones. ‘Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend.’ But True Crime. If you come in here and I’m working really hard, you’re going to hear a True Crime podcast.”

Most of all, though, Snell values family time, making sure her family “sticks together.” In the fall, she’s typically working the role of a single mom, since her husband has his hands and schedule full coaching football.

“We try to spend as much time with my husband by going to his football games, by prioritizing,” Snell said. “We eat dinner at the table when he comes home. We prioritize going to church together as a family, because he works seven days a week…like I said, life can get really busy. It can get really stressful. I think the most important thing in life is that you find people that you want to share it with.”

Currently, Snell said she has a “happy outlook” on her work and life. Beyond the diversity and acceptance that Snell sees here, she also likes Clements’ “aura of excellence” and the focus on pushing yourself past the edges of your comfort zone.

“That is a big thing for a Ranger, to be college-ready, career-ready, military-ready,” Snell said. “I see a lot of students who are very invested in what they’re taking and wanting to do the best and get the best schedule because they want to further their career when they leave high school.”

But more than that, Snell wants students to know that persevering is what builds resilience and character, whether that’s braving through a class you didn’t want to take or larger discomforts of life.

“Life is hard,” Snell said. “We all go through some really tough things. We all struggle with things. We all are struggling with who we are and who we want to be. And I think just providing a space for people to come in and be able to say what’s in their brain, I think that’s very important.”