Photo by Elizabeth Larsen.
Diane Hanel becomes a new counselor at Hastings Senior High School at the start of the 2025-2026 school year, following Lisa Boucher’s retirement.
Having worked at six previous districts, Hanel is not unfamiliar to the work that comes with being a counselor for so many students. In previous years, she worked alone, having less assistance with her workload. Now, working with more counselors and many more students, she hopes this year will go smoothly compared to others.
“[In] the last several districts that I’ve been in, the total number of students has been less than three hundred… in my previous roles, that was the majority of students that I needed to remember. Here, it’s just larger. It’s harder to really get to know students just because you don’t see them…” Hanel said.
When Hanel arrived, she got straight to work getting to know the other counselors, attending a leadership meeting, creating student schedules, and prioritizing the success of her students.
“… that’s kind of the responsibility of a counselor, but as a teacher and then becoming a mother, just wanting to help and provide the best opportunities and then being able to assist individuals [was natural]… that’s what I did in my home, what I did when I was in school, and I just wanna continue that in my professional life,” Hanel said.
As a professional counselor, Hanel is ambitious and ready to help her assigned students in any way to help them succeed. She is here to greet students with a smile and make them her main priority.
“On my first day, I felt a lot of excitement. I was eager to get to know the school, meet the students, and learn how I could best use my strengths to support the counseling department. I still feel that same excitement now, but with more confidence as I continue to learn and grow in my role,” Hanel said.
