This year, we have another addition to the AHS faculty. Mrs. Jenny Willard is the newest counselor providing her expertise at Alliance High School alongside of Mr. Lanik. Willard will be helping with academics, future college opportunities, social-emotional skills and many other things to help students plan for the future.

This is Willard’s sixth year being a counselor. Before coming to Alliance, she previously worked at schools in Wyoming. She was there for five years until she decided to move back to Alliance. Before becoming a counselor, Willard did her internship with Alliance Public Schools. 

Initially while in college, Willard was not planning on becoming a counselor. She stated, “I was in speech pathology. After four years of my undergrad, I met with the advisor in Lincoln, and they informed me based off of all of my questions that I would be a good counselor. So, I was like, ‘you know what? I think I would rather help kids with lots of things from different realms, rather than speech.’” She ended up getting her Master’s Degree after talking to the advisor in Lincoln. Willard got her undergrad from the University of Nebraska Lincoln, and continued to her Master’s Degree in K-12 counseling from Concordia University.

When asked what she is most excited for this year, she responded, “Just getting to know all of the kids, and to help where I can. I want to help with academics and social-emotional skills to hopefully get kids going in a positive direction.” In her free time, Willard likes to travel with her husband, spend time with their family and friends, go to the lake when it is nice out and spend time with her sixteen month old daughter.

She ended her interview by commenting, “I am proud to be back, and of course proud to be a bulldog!” Welcome to AHS Mrs. Willard!