Meet Graduate Student Ambassador Jess Langlois

Describe your interest in your academic program and what you hope to gain from it.

As a future school counselor, I will be able to build a supportive network for students, which has been a long-time goal of mine. I want to work with students, families, educators and other stakeholders to ultimately help students succeed. The counseling program at Villanova is my way of getting there. With supportive professors and hands-on classes and experiences, I am excited to learn more about the counseling profession and grow as a counselor and person.

What is your favorite course you’ve taken so far? If you are in your first year, what course are you most looking forward to in your program? Why?

I'm looking forward to my practicum and internship, so I can begin to apply the skills I've learned in class to real-life experiences. I'm excited to work with students and current school counselors, and learn from those experiences and my classmates' experiences too.

What are a few things you would like to share with prospective students regarding the Villanova student experience?

Villanova cultivates experiences to make students feel connected to each other and the Villanova campus. Coming right from my undergraduate school, I was nervous about making friends and feeling at home on a new campus. However, my nerves quickly dissolved because I felt supported in my academics through my professors and I was able to meet many other students going through the same experience. The student experience at Villanova is a community; you are entering a community when you come to Villanova.

How do you maintain a good school/life balance?

Google Calendar! I'm balancing my graduate assistantship, classes and myself. Everyday, I set time to achieve a homework task, work-related tasks and self-care tasks to make sure I'm getting done what needs to get done while taking care of myself.

If you’re living around Villanova, what are one to two “must do” experiences you would suggest to students new to Villanova and the surrounding area including Philadelphia?

The Franklin Institute and the Museum of Art!

Describe what it means to be a graduate student at Villanova. In other words, why Villanova?

Villanova checked all my boxes. The curriculum for school counseling students matched what I wanted to learn, and was CACREP-accredited, which was important to me. This way, I am gaining the most experience I can before starting my career as a school counselor, while meeting the educational requirements for licensure and certification upon graduation. Also, Villanova provided lots of funding opportunities. My assistantship is a great way for me to gain professional development while still prioritizing my education. Finally, I was nervous about building connections while in graduate school. On Preview Day, community and network building was emphasized. I know that when I graduate, I will be confident in my standing as a school counselor and have a network of other school counselors to work with.