You are on your way to becoming a School Counselor and lucky for you, you picked the best profession in the world! This is an exciting time to be an intern and I am glad that you have been placed at Cooper Academy. My name is Mike Yates and I have been a School Counselor in Fresno Unified for 9 years, all of which I have been lucky enough to serve the amazing students and community at Cooper Academy.

Prior to working for FUSD, I worked for UC Merced where I ran the Upward Bound TRiO Program serving 50 high school students at McLane High School and Hoover High School. I graduated with my B.A in Psychology from Fresno State and with my Master’s in School Counseling from Fresno Pacific University where I also earned my P.P.S. Credential. I am a current member of both the California Association of School Counselors (CASC) and the American School Counselor Association (ASCA).

Personally speaking, I am married to my wonderful wife Katie and we have a young son named Hudson and a crazy but lovable dog Luna. I grew up in Fresno and went to school in FUSD and feel truly lucky that I get to serve the school district that gave me so much as a young person.

My philosophy in working with interns is that you already bring a certain set of skills and strengths with you and we are going to build upon those and add to them. In your experience with me, you will get an opportunity to see what a comprehensive school counseling program looks like and we will work together to provide you will relevant and exciting experiences that help shape you into a desirable school counselor applicant to any school district in which you apply.

I look forward to working with you this semester and I know this is going to be a great experience for both of us. Remember as you begin this placement to be yourself, ask questions, observe and stay open-minded. Doing those things will help you make the most of this opportunity you have before you. Here’s to a great internship!

Mike Yates

School Counselor

Cooper Academy IB World School

Fresno Unified School District