Emma Cerimovic

CHADS SEL counselor Darma Merkle replies to emails on her computer early in the morning. “It’s hard waking up early in the morning,” Merkle said. Merkle felt that waking up early made the mornings go by slowly so they could tiring.

Darma Merkle walks into her new office at a new school, Oakville High School. She is working full-time as a CHADS counselor, seeing students in and out of her office. While excited to see how she can help others doing her job as a counselor, she is also getting adjusted to the new environment.  

“… I just wanted a job where I could focus on just connecting with students and helping them feel like the best versions of themselves. So AKA social emotional learning is all about equipping yourself with skills that would help you, and that’s why I’m here,” Merkle said.

Merkle’s goal in her job is wanting to help and teach students at OHS life skills that anybody would need. 

“Connecting with students and just cracking jokes, very just informally learning things about students and students learning things about themselves. It’s never super stressful, always very informal and it’s connection focused,” Merkle said.

Connecting with students is something that she loves about her job, especially with those students who are in need of support.

“Yes, so most of the time, [my students are] referrals. Students aren’t opting to come say ‘hi’ to me … but I do one-on-one lessons with students on anything ranging from stress management to procrastination, working on relationship skills [and] anxiety management …” Merkle said.

Students may always come to Merkle for their struggles, but with her new position, she has experienced some struggles of her own. 

“Coming to school at 7:00 a.m., especially with that line of cars and buses in the morning, it’s a struggle. Also adapting my professional demeanor to staff, administrators [and] students. Just making sure I’m adapting,” Merkle said.

Something that has been helping Merkle adjust to her new environment is using her talkative personality.

“Definitely asking a million questions to a million different people, just saying ‘hi’… so showing up and showing who I am, that’s how I adjusted,” Merkle said.

As she has been getting used to her new job, she has seen how to make her room inviting for the students coming in.

“Peaceful, I try to make the room feel peaceful, but also even if the conversation with students … gets kind of heated or stressful,” Merkle said, “but ultimately the goal is that we’re processing it so it feels peaceful for them [and] it feels peaceful for me.”