I walked into the office, greeted by the warm smile of Ms. Cutalo, one of our newest members of the counseling department here at Mendham High School. She may look familiar because she started working at Mendham last school year as an intern for Mrs.Milner. However, this year marks her first official year as a school counselor. As a graduate of Mendham High School herself, Ms. Cutalo is quite familiar with both the school and members of our faculty.
Previously, Ms. Cutalo worked at Morristown Medical Center in the Behavioral Health unit. She first started in the hospital as a patient liaison, doing more customer-service-oriented work. She then went on to work in the adult inpatient psychiatric unit, where she was a mental health assistant for four years.
When asked why she got into school counselling, she explained, “I kind of went back and forth with it. I knew I always wanted to do something in the psychology field…I took Ms.Tucky’s human behavior class, and I fell in love with it…the idea of psychology and how it works.” After channeling this passion into her work at the hospital, Ms. Cutalo realized that she didn’t want to do clinical work anymore. “I had a really good experience with my student assistance counsellor, the SAC, who was here when I was here. I worked with her a lot, and she really influenced me and was an inspiration for me to go into the school setting.” Ms.Cutalo then decided to get her Master’s in School Counseling.
As a school counselor, Ms. Cutalo really values her work and her role in fuelling the success of our student body. “I think my favorite part is talking with all the students. It’s fun to just get out there and talk to you guys and get to know everyone…it’s a good community setting,” she stated. “I think the most rewarding part is just seeing student success, [like] watching a student pass a hard class or all the seniors when they start getting into colleges. You feel like you help them accomplish a big goal.”
Upon graduation, Ms. Cutalo wasn’t sure of what she wanted to do. This led her to start working in the hospital to “get a feel for different things.” When asked about a piece of advice she would like to give to students, Ms.Cutalo emphasizes the point that “it’s okay to stumble,” expressing that it’s okay to ask for help. “We’re all here for each and every one of you guys. So don’t be shy, don’t be afraid to come speak to us, especially the counselors…you have so much support in the high school, utilize it.”
Outside of school, Ms. Cutalo is a huge sports fan. She thoroughly enjoys getting to as many MLB games and NFL games as possible. She is also in a book club, an avid reader, and big on spending quality time with her family.
Though the counseling department has seen many changes throughout the past few years, we are fortunate to welcome Ms.Cutalo—a MHS graduate herself and a friendly face—as our counselor.
