Natavia Jones is a first-year counselor at Bryan for the Nebraska College Preparatory Academy. Jones is currently working on getting her master’s and becoming a fully-licensed therapist by May. Her birthday is Jan. 20.

How do you prefer your workspace? 

“I prefer my workspace to be clean and calm, especially because I do counseling. I like for it to feel like a safe space and for the students to feel like this is their space, so I also take feedback from students on what they want to see and just make sure that I make it as comfortable as possible for the students.”

Do you enjoy working at Bryan? 

“I do. I love it here. This is my first year being at Bryan, and I feel like it’s very inclusive, and all of the staff members are really nice, and it just feels like a great environment for students to grow and learn.“

What is your favorite part of being a counselor? 

“My favorite part of being a counselor is just seeing the growth and the change that students experience and seeing them have realization moments of things that they can change and the better person that they could be. And I would say that is a highlight for me whenever I see growth in the students.”

To you, what makes a good day at Bryan? 

“A good day at Bryan is the sun shining, students happy and jolly, and just feeling alive when I’m not too tired and having multiple students that want to meet with me is a good day for me.”

How do you want your students to remember you? 

“I just want them to remember that I wanted the best for them and that I was always kind and to remember that I am open and available to be a safe space, regardless if they are a Bryan student or not and continuing on for the remainder of their life and future. And just remember that I want to ensure that they are properly set up to be successful students.”

Any current trends that confuse you? 

“TikTok trends confuse me all the time, but I don’t have any specific ones right now.”

Are there any books you enjoy? 

“Oh, yes. I love rom-com books or thriller books, but mostly romantic books is my favorite.”

What inspires you to be a counselor?

“What inspires me is young students and seeing them become alive and become the best version of themselves. So I would just say young people in general are my inspiration.”

Three words that describe you?

“Three words that describe me: charismatic, determined and joyful.“

How do you wake up in the morning? 

“I wake up past my alarm, and I wake up and do a good stretch and hop out of bed. I have to turn the lights on to also wake me up. I drink some water, brush my teeth, sometimes take a shower if I didn’t the night before to wake me up and also say a good prayer or grounding to get me started with my day.”

Do you have a favorite song at the moment? 

“Yeah, I would say ‘Man I Need’ by Olivia Dean.”

One thing most people don’t know about you?

“Most people don’t know that I have 11 siblings.” 

Is there anything you want the readers to know? 

“Just to keep going, staying in school and that you can do anything that you believe in.”