From a young age, Imani Agee realized she had a passion for journalism. She had big plans to major in the field and become a newscaster. Little did Agee know that these plans would help to lead her back to the place where she started to hone her skills in journalism, Chapel Hill High School. However, she would not be returning as a writer; she’d be returning as a counselor.
When Agee was a Chapel Hill High School student, she had decided to join the school’s newspaper, Proconian.
“I loved working with the newspaper. I knew from a very young age that I was extremely into journalism. I just loved writing,” Agee said.
Working with Proconian inspired Agee to major in journalism at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. She focused on broadcast production, which taught her about becoming a news anchor. She would go on to get her bachelor’s degree in the field, but one thing held her back—her anxiety.
“After college, I took a break,” she said. “I did marketing, part time. I wondered what I wanted to do and asked myself if I wanted to be in front of a million people as a news anchor. The answer was no because I suffer from social anxiety. My mental health could not take it.”
Once she realized she wanted to find a new career path, Agee started to look at her other passions to help her decide what she wanted to do. She realized her friends and family were always coming to ask for her advice, which made her think about becoming a counselor.
A lot of people questioned Agee’s decision to switch from journalism to counseling. However, there are many similarities between the two fields, mainly communication.
“I communicate all day long. I like to call myself a master of communication,” Agee said.
Agee ended up getting a master’s degree from North Carolina Central University, where she studied school counseling and clinical mental health counseling. After graduating, she worked in the Guilford Public Schools district before returning to Chapel Hill High School.
“I knew when I graduated from my master’s program that my ideal workplace would be the high school I graduated from. I just knew that I wanted to come back and help the population that I grew up with,” Agee said.
Agee started her job at Chapel Hill High school in early August, but she is already forming close connections with many of her students.
Junior Jasmine McCall is just one of the students Agee has helped so far.
“She was really quick to gain my trust since I do not talk to anyone about my feelings the way I talk to her about my feelings. She gives me advice and seems to always know what I’m going to do next,” McCall said.
The students aren’t the only ones enjoying Agee’s presence at Chapel Hill High School; her old advisors are as well.
English teacher Kimberly Lindekugel met Agee her sophomore year when Lindekugel coached Agee on the cheerleading team.
“She was always a ball to have at practice,” Lindekugel said. “She always had a good spirit and was a hard worker and just fun. She was always just cooperative and good to have around.”
When Lindekugel heard the news that Agee would be coming back to Chapel Hill High School as a counselor, she was excited and proud of her past pupil.
“When my students leave, I kind of freeze them in time at that age, and, when I see them all grown up and being adults it’s really really cool to see them,” Lindekugel said.
Agee made her impact on Chapel Hill High School as a student, and she continues to do so now as a counselor.
“As students it’s hard to find someone to trust. I like to be that person who ensures the student they can trust me and that I’m here for them and not going to judge them,” Agee said.
