Bill Campbell has been a counselor at South Lakes for fifteen years. Campbell works with students to help achieve their goals that they may have now and in the future.

How did you decide to become a counselor? What inspired you?

After teaching for 6 years, I realized that I was doing a lot of the same things a counselor does.  Also, I had begun to look for something different than being in the classroom.  I have always enjoyed being around kids, helping them to make good decisions.

How long have you been working at South Lakes and was there any other school you worked at before this?

This will be my fifteenth year at South Lakes.  Previous to that I worked in a private school for one year, a middle school for seven years, a high school for three years and a community college for eight years.  All of these schools were in Southern California.

What is it like being a counselor at this school?

It’s very busy.  You are constantly balancing meetings at school with meetings with parents and students as well as with teachers.  You spend time working with kids regarding personal issues, evaluating students with special needs  writing college letters of recommendation, registering new kids, conducting registration in the late winter and early spring.  It takes a dedicated team of counselors to do this and we have a great team here at South Lakes.

How do you feel when you help a student achieve his/her goal?

It’s always rewarding but I don’t get too caught up in all of that.  It takes dedication from students, parents and teachers to accomplish personal and academic goals.  I play just a small role in that big picture.
What are some of your hobbies or interests?

I work out a lot, 5-6 days a week, enjoy college football (I am a big Nebraska fan) and college basketball (North Carolina fan).  I enjoy spending times with my kids. I have a 24 year old son finishing college, a ten year old daughter and a six year old son who is just getting started in Tae Kwon Do and spending a lot of time with my wife. She used to be a counselor here (Mrs. Campbell) and is now a director of counseling at John Champe High School in Loudon County.