For the last couple of months, Ms. Jalani Mosley has been helping underclassmen with last names starting with A-CL and seniors whose last names are Carter all the way to those whose names start with CL.

“I worked as a counselor intern for Crystal Middle School and Fairfield High School Fall 2021-Spring 2023,” she said, explaining her experience before coming to Armijo.

Counseling was not her first career, though. “Prior to starting here, I worked as an Executive Assistant for the Chief Operating Officer of Girl Scouts Heart of Central California in Sacramento,” she said. “Before that, I worked in retail as a manager for a few different companies.”

She became a counselor, though, because she recognized a need for compassion and effectiveness in the field. “I didn’t have the best experience with counselors as a kid, which is why I dedicated my higher educational career to become the individual whom I needed in my life as an adolescent and young adult,” she said. “I realized that my passion to help the youth is through counseling and mental health programs.”

The road to her position has taken her all over Northern California. She attended Cosumnes Oaks High School in Elk Grove and then went to American River College in Sacramento where she earned her Associates Degree. After that, she went to Cal State University East Bay in Hayward, where she got her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees.

Students who are considering becoming counselors should recognize their reason for the choice. “My advice is to identify your why,” she said. “You must be passionate enough to pursue it and be willing to endure all that comes with it. This goes for any career, not only counseling/mental health. Additionally, understand that the counseling and mental health space is about human investment. You should be helping others cultivate a healthier version of themselves while ensuring you are doing the same for yourself.”

One of the ways she balances her mental health is to have a life outside of her career. “I enjoy cleaning, organizing, watching documentaries, movies and shows, exercising such as boxing and conditioning, cooking for myself and others, shopping and hanging out with friends,” she said.