Mr. Isaiah Lee is a USC college advisor who helps students make informed decisions about their higher education plans and future. He recently started working at Glendale High School this school year. He became a college advisor, because he wanted to work with and for the people. He also wanted to get invested in Glendale and find ways to better help his community.
Mr. Lee was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, but he moved to Los Angeles when he was five years old. He graduated from UC Santa Cruz, where he majored in psychology. He chose psychology, because as a senior, he loved the TV series Criminal Minds. He also likes to produce and sample music, and he enjoys playing basketball when he gets the chance.
This counseling job at GHS is Mr. Lee’s first job out of college. He decided to try this position since it checks off a lot of the things that he wants to do in his career. He says that for the immediate future, he will be counseling and he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon.
Mr. Lee actually works for the University of Southern California and not for Glendale High School. So the way he got to work on our campus is because he was assigned by his USC administrators to work here. They chose him, because he lives nearby, and they appreciated his personality and the way he functions.
His administrators observed Mr. Lee and his co-workers during their four-week training by seeing how they interacted with people. Then they used what they observed to fit them in with the students who needed them the most.
Mr. Lee loves giving back to his community and to the students of Glendale High School. His number one concern is always the student. He is always asking himself questions like, “How can I help students adjust back into school?” and “How can I help them reach their goal?”
His main interest in counseling is talking to the students about their futures and what they want to do. He will always “want to know what you want to do, not your parents’ idea or your teachers’ ideas.”
When you enter his classroom, he wants you to feel welcome. “I don’t want this space to feel like a classroom, but as a place where you can come talk and relax,” he said. “When you walk in this room, I want you to think about yourself and what you want to do.”
Mr. Lee wants you to relax about your academics and take a moment to think about your post-high school plans. He wants his room to make you happy and to help take a burden or a worry off of your shoulders.
Mr. Lee hopes that every senior will be able to apply to one four-year university this year and that they can grow not only academically, but also socially and emotionally. For right now, he plans to continue counseling at Glendale High School, because our “students have something really good going on here, and you are [always] welcome to come by my class.”
So when you have some spare time, stop by Room 4115, because Mr. Lee would love to talk to you.
