Allison Little is a counselor at Louis Pizitz Middle School.
Q: What inspired you to work in education?
A: So, I had a roundabout way of getting here into the education industry. I actually graduated with a degree in art in college and thought I was gonna go that route, but I learned that I really loved students. I enjoyed working with students in the college community that I was in. And so, I chose to keep going where the students were, and I figured out that school counseling is a great way to impact a lot of students at one time. And so, that is exactly what I did.
Q: What is something great about your school?
A: I am surrounded by a staff who truly chooses students first in all that we do, and it's evident in our school activities. It's evident in the way that teachers teach. It's evident in the way that we serve the needs in our student body. And because we have that mindset, because we're choosing students first in all that we do, we, as a staff, trust each other because we all have the same goal. And so, that is something that's really fantastic about Pizitz and really special.
Q: Tell us something about you that people might not know.
A: So, something you might not know is that I also went to Pizitz. Granted, it was the freshman campus building, but I was a Pizitz student. Best middle school in America. I was on the dance team and I did girls’ choir. So, it's just really cool to be back in the place that poured into me as a middle school student that I can also give back into.
Q: Tell us about an educator who was important to you while in school.
A: So, two teachers come to mind. Ms.Driscoll was one of my middle school math teachers. She made math really fun, which is hard to do, but she cared more about me as a student and then my grades after that. So, she was really special to me. And then, Ms. Carson was my anatomy teacher in Vestavia at the high school. I exempted her exam. She was the only one I exempted because she made it fun and she made it enjoyable and it was easier to work hard in her class because she cared a lot about us as students.
Q: What is the most rewarding part of your job?
A: So, here in my school counseling office,I hear lots of different stories and things going on in their lives. Lots of feelings too. But, I really love when kids come in who you can tell that they need to talk about something, but they're a little afraid to be vulnerable. But, the process of seeing their walls coming down as we talk and then just needing some encouragement and hope and then feeling strong after they share about what they're going through is one of the most rewarding things that I get to be a part of here at school.
