After four years at Chapel Hill, guidance counselor Laré Meachum left her position on January 12. She left to accept a position at Duke as an undergraduate financial aid advisor.
“This move is very much bittersweet because I’ve enjoyed my time here. The students here have been very welcoming and supportive,” Meachum, one of Chapel Hill’s counselors and Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) counselor, said. “It’s a hard decision, but it’s growth.”
Meachum has advised the class of 2018 since its freshman year. Although she has assisted many students over the years, she says she will miss her AVID students most.
“I hold them very dear, and I will definitely miss everything about [the program],” Meachum said.
Meachum worked closely with Joanne McClelland, Chapel Hill’s AVID coordinator, to assist and empower AVID students during her time at the school.
“We were both saying the same things to the students about what we expected of them to achieve academically.” McClelland said. “She was passionate about her job.”
Though the school has already begun the search for a new counselor, she will be missed by her colleagues, as emphasized by McClelland.
“We can’t replace her,” McClelland said. “We can hire someone in her place, but we can never replace her.”
