Kelli Taylor, last names Ko-N. Photo courtesy of Julie Weltens.

Q: How long have you been a school counselor?

A: I’ve been here for 15 years and through 15 years, I have not always had that alpha split Ko-N. When I first started here, I was actually K through P, so we had a lot less counselors, so we had a lot more kids, but gradually we’ve got to add a few counselors here.

Q: Did you go to college and what did you major in?

A: So I majored in psychology at Eastern Washington University in Washington State, and then I went and got my masters. It’s like a masters of education, but it specialized in high school counseling, which in Washington State now, I can’t speak for their programs now because programs change all the time, but at the time, when you went and got your masters, you started with your masters of education. People that were in administration and counseling, all went through the same program until you had to make up your mind, ‘do I want to go into administration or do I want to go into counseling?’ So then I went into counseling.

Q: For the 15 years, have you always been a counselor?

A: I’ve always been in this position, yeah.

Q: Have you worked anywhere else?

A: I have. I’m originally from Washington State and I worked up there. I was a coach for 10 years, and then I worked in a program, it was called family empowerment, but it was more like you were a liaison. I worked between two school districts and I helped families with different needs that they had and everything. When I was 32, I moved down here, so I’ve almost been down here for almost 20 years and I started at Westlake for two years, and then I moved down to the Houston area to Clear Creek ISD, and worked at Clear Springs for a couple of years and then here and then I’ve been here ever since.

Q: So, is that your journey to going into counseling, did you know you wanted to do that?

A: When I was your age I honestly had no clue what I wanted to do, but my mom was an educator. She was a coach and my dad was on the school board and all that. I went to a very, very, small, small school in Washington State, I had 45 kids in my graduating class, so it would be very small. I really struggled with finding what I wanted to do, and then I started taking psychology classes and I really liked that. What kind of got me in education is just my parents I mean, my mom coached, she was a teacher, that kind of stuff, and so where I grew up that was just kind of, I guess it was just kind of a thing that just kind of followed and then I liked it too.

Q: What’s been your favorite part about counseling?

A: You know, now what I really find kind of cool, but also terrifying at the same time is like I’ve been here a long enough where I’m, some of the kids that I had, I mean, they’re all starting their families of their own now, you know, or like seeing like, oh my gosh, you’re like the little sister. I mean, just watching whole families kind of go through this system. Where, you know, when you’re younger, you don’t always, you don’t see that unless you’re here. Knowing families with their kids, you know, starting their oldest and then going all the way through with their whole family and stuff is really cool. To see and be able to hear what they are doing now and hear if they’re getting married or having their baby, that kind of stuff.

Q: You’ve said you’ve worked at different schools, is there a difference between there and here at Cedar Park?

A: You know, every school that I’ve worked at has some similarities, but they all have their own unique kind of things that make them who they are, you know? I would say like Clear Springs and Westlake that I worked at, there’s a lot of similarities, but also Westlake has their thing and Clear Springs has their thing, you know, they’re very proud of their schools, just like we’re very proud of Cedar Park, but there’s still some similarities with just the general way of things that the way things run and function and that kind of thing.

Q: Do you plan on staying here?

A: I do. I actually only have four more years before I can retire, but I will be here a little longer than that, but yeah, I plan on being here until I decide that I’m too old for it.

Q: I know you’ve been in the system for a while, so what does counseling mean to you?

A: What does that mean to me? There’s been a lot of changes in counseling since I started, but what I like to see is just some of those stories where you see a kid and you see, wow, they really appreciated, like it really meant something to them. The sincerity between you and the kids that you’re working with and them knowing that like, ‘wow, thank you, you really cared’ and helped see them transition and it may not even be graduating from here, but helping them find whatever they need to do to be successful and kind of watching that journey. I mean, because sometimes you don’t always have every success story, you know, there’s somewhere where you’re like, ‘man, this really stinks because I wish I could have done more,’ but just watching those, seeing kids end up being successful.

Q: I know counselors can also deal with kind of tough situations with students, so how do you prepare yourself and help with the student get through those moments?

A: Well, I didn’t, the biggest thing for me is if, I always figure if I’m in their shoes and there’s something going on, I just want someone that’s sincere. There are skills, I guess, when you go, when you’re a counselor and you go to school and that kind of stuff, but a lot of this is just being a human being. When someone goes through something hard or tough, it’s just being a human being and showing that you care, honestly care, you’re not just like, ‘mhm, mhm,’ and just trying to get them in and get them out. It’s just being physically mentally there with them and listening to them and that’s probably the biggest thing is just to hear them. You can’t prepare yourself necessarily for that, but just knowing, I’m all in, I’m here for you. Like I said, I mean, you do learn some different avenues and skills and things as you’re going through the stuff to help, but still I think it’s just being there, being real.

Q: I see you’ve decorated your office and so do the students, whenever they come in here, have you decorated it to make them feel more welcome or anything like that? 


A: You know, I think my office is like a hodgepodge of beans somewhere for 15 years. Family is very, very important to me so a lot of this stuff is like, that’s my grandparent or my grandpa’s football jersey because he was a jockey, and that’s my dad’s basketball name on his back, that’s my mom’s letter men’s jacket, my nieces, and then just collective stuff. I do get it where people walk into them and kids say it feels homey, but it wasn’t like I purpose per se.

Q: Are there any other things you’ve done to make students feel more at home?

A: It’s more just welcoming them in. Typically I’m just like, come on in, and if I have a new student and family, it’s just like, ‘come on in, make yourself at home, sit,’ I mean I’m welcoming you to my house and let’s have a conversation.

Q: When you were in high school, did you ever visit the counselor’s office or anything?

A: No, when I was in school, like I said, I went to a high school where there were I think maybe 180 in total. The counselor, great guy, his name was Mr. Linklater, but he was a coach too and I dealt with him more as I was an athlete. It was more like us going in and bugging Mr. Linklater and I don’t even remember, to be honest, picking out my classes. It was just kind of like when you go to a school that is that small, you don’t have as many options as you do here. It was more like a student athlete kind of thing with my counselor, not going to if I had some problem or something. So I said no, I didn’t go see him, but when I did, but it wasn’t because of being a counselor.

Q: I guess times have changed, would you say that from the counseling perspective, do you think it’s changed for the better?

A: I think, yes, because I think, like I said, and I can’t speak for everyone my age, but at least the conversations that I have, even when parents come in to register and stuff, they’re like, ‘wow, I don’t even remember ever seeing my counselor.’ I think in that regards, it changed for the better because I think parents, students, they know more about the counselors and going to talk to your counselor if you need something. Before I don’t think that it was just kind of, not saying that they weren’t an important individual, it just wasn’t out there as much. Here it’s like in everything, here’s the counselors, here’s the principal, you know, that kind of thing. It just wasn’t like that when I was going to school, so I would say in that regards it definitely changed for the better because I think kids know to go talk to your counselor or email the counselor if you have a question. The counselors always kind of joke around, but I think we’re kind of like this switchboard. We get questions, like sometimes we don’t even, we’re not even in that, but it’s like, well go ask your counselor, they’ll know, like where, who to contact, what to do, you know, that kind of stuff.

Q: Do you like to, not maybe like serious situations, but do you like to share kind of like experiences with them, to make them feel more connected to you?

A: Yeah, sometimes yeah, cause, you know, you don’t wanna just be a complete open book, because you are their counselor. 
You’re not like their friend, right? I think sometimes sharing a little bit can help just make you, you’re human just like everybody else, you know, and to know that it’s okay, you know, whatever you’re going through, it’s okay, we’re gonna get through it and that kind of thing.

Q: Do you like to be that kind of person of contact with everyone?

A: Yeah, I don’t mind it at all.
I mean, there might be some people where I’m not, but I don’t mind it at all. If I can help make it easier, that’s what I like to do.

Q: What is one of the most important things you want students to know just about you or the counseling office?

A: I think the most important thing is that we want help. Sometimes we might not have the answer, but we’re all willing to go and say like, ‘you know what, I might not know, but I’m gonna go find out and figure out who does to help you.’ I think that’s the biggest thing is that we’re here to help and we’ll do whatever we can to get whatever you need for you.

Q: So what do you do outside of school?

A: I don’t even know if it is a hobby, but I have two dogs, two cats, and I have a parrot, they’re like my, I don’t have many kids on my own so they are my kids. This October, I got a puppy and she’s a Doberman and I brought her to work a few times, but my life revolves around them. I do stuff with animals, I love animals. Family is  also really, really important to me and I’ve been really, really blessed to have and I love them to death.

Q: Would you call yourself introverted or extroverted? Why’s that?

A: Probably introverted. I can be very extroverted, but it’s with a very small group of people, if I know you really well. If I go into a large room with a lot of people, I will become very introverted, but if it’s with a small group of your people, then I mean, people would be like, ‘oh my gosh, can she be quiet?’ Put me in a big room where people I don’t know, I’ll just become a little wallflower and just kind of try to blend in.

Q: And then if there was like one thing you wanted your students to know about you, what would it be?

A: It’s just really that, this sounds so, like, but I’m here for you. I’m here, just let me know, I’ll help you anyway I can. I just can’t stress enough, like, I might not know all the answers, but I’ll help you find them, so don’t hesitate to email or reach out because that’s what I want to do is to help and figure out what’s best for them.

Q: What are some of your favorite tv shows and movies?

A: There’s a lot of, I love like, okay, Tracker I like, I like American idol, I like The Voice, hold on,
I used to love Vampire Diaries and I love Star Wars, I’m a huge Star Wars fan, like huge, I even watched all the animations. My brother and I are huge, but he works for EA and he helps with the gaming and stuff and all that. I love Yellowstone, oh yeah, and like all the rescue 911 ones, I’ve watched those, Tracker, but yeah, and I used to watch like Hallmark Christmas.
I don’t know, yeah, I watch a lot of TV.

Q: So are you more of a TV person or movie person?

A: A little both, really, a little of both, yeah. 
I would say.

Q: Who would you say is your biggest influence on your life?

A: That one’s kind of hard, because I probably have a few people, definitely my grandparents and my parents, those four people. My grandparents are no longer here, but they were second parents to me. I would go home after basketball practice and I’d be like, ‘mom, what are you cooking for dinner?’ and I would be like, if I didn’t like it, I’d hop in my car and go to my grandparents house. They were a huge influence, they never missed a game of mine, so I would say those four people like, were really, really significant. My parents are still, I’m lucky they’re both still here, but those four people were big influences in my life.