Melissa Mitchell is one of many new additions to the Becton staff this year. She is the Student Assistance Coordinator (SAC), the Anti-bullying Specialist, the Homeless Liaison, and the district’s Mental Health Coordinator. This sounds like many different titles, but her main job is to provide support and guidance to all students in order to help them address issues that may be negatively impacting their academics, social interactions, and overall experience in high school. As the district’s Mental Health Coordinator, she organizes awareness, prevention, and intervention programming. Her other roles involve more hands-on work such as meeting with students to provide solution-based support in conjunction with parents and guardians, teachers, counselors, and administration.
Mitchell has always envisioned herself in an occupation where she can help people, but she was unsure of which path she wanted to take toward this goal. She considered a lot of options from teaching to working in the medical field but eventually, in college through her own experiences, she realized the importance of ensuring students’ mental health and well-being. This made her decide to take on a role helping people in a school setting, and once she tried it out, she knew that she had found the career that spoke to her. As she puts it, “I have always envisioned a career in a helping profession, but I wasn’t sure in what capacity. It wasn’t until college that I realized how important it was to address and offer support for mental health and wellness in the school setting. Once I started working with students, I knew it was something I wanted to continue doing.”
Mitchell has many degrees, from two different colleges showing her various passions. From the prestigious Monmouth University, she earned her Master’s of Science Degree in Mental Health Counseling with a particular focus on Substance Counseling. In addition, from Montclair State University, she acquired a Bachelor’s in Psychology. However, she also has a double minor in English and Film studies, showing her special love for the arts.
This is her first year at Becton, however, she has worked in this position in other North Jersey school districts for six years. When asked about her decision to change her workplace, Mitchell says, “While it is still the beginning of the school year, I am already feeling like a true member of the faculty. I can’t express how much I enjoy working with the wonderful students and staff here.”
In her spare time, Mitchell is enthusiastic about cinema and culture, and spends time watching movies primarily in the psychological thrillers, suspense, and horror genres. She also enjoys antiquing and visiting historic locations or museums. One of her favorite places is the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, where she is an annual pass holder. She also enjoys playing with her rescue pup, Petunia, and going on long hikes.
Overall, Mitchell’s time here at Becton has been a good one so far, and she looks forward to coming up with new ways to ensure every student has a support system they can rely on.
