Damien Bracey
School Counselor
Valley Vista High School (AZ)

 

What drew you to the world of college admission counseling?
First, I had amazing mentors who were instrumental during my own college admissions journey. I wanted to make a difference in students’ lives, just as they did for me.

In high school, I participated in a program that placed students in summer employment on the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus. I had the opportunity to work in the pre-college office, where high school students took college courses during the summer. I witnessed firsthand the strong relationships that counselors built with those students.

During my senior year of high school, I tore my ACL while playing football, which made attending my study hall on the third floor challenging. After undergoing reconstructive surgery in the spring, I had to use crutches. I disliked the hassle of riding the elevator, so I spent my time in the counseling office. Once again, I observed the great relationships my school counselor had with her students.

My own relationship with my admissions counselor at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire was also impactful. I met the legendary Mr. Vance at a college fair on my high school campus. I had never heard of UWEC before, but we had a great conversation at the fair. He invited me to two weekend events on campus — one in the fall and one in the spring — and I fell in love with the school! Mr. Vance eventually became a mentor and role model for me. There wasn’t anything he didn’t do for minority students on campus; he was an admissions counselor, academic adviser, fundraiser, financial aid officer, bus driver — you name it, he did it for us. His passion for helping minority students succeed was inspiring, and I am eternally grateful for his presence in my life.

My favorite part of being a school counselor is building relationships with students over four years, observing their growth, and witnessing their “a-ha” moments. The cherry on top is seeing their success stories after graduation, whether they come back to campus or connect with me on social media.

How has NACAC played a role in your career?
NACAC has been a phenomenal resource for professional development. The NACAC conference is the highlight of my school year. I am a past president of RMACAC, and the opportunity to serve on the Affiliate Presidents Council and connect with my presidential class (1408) has been one of the highlights of my career. To this day, we still stay connected, and they are an amazing resource of support when I have unique circumstances. NACAC conferences are also a great way to connect with vendors when in the market for a new educational product or when facing troubleshooting issues with a product or platform you use.

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing our profession today?
The biggest problem facing our profession today is ACCESS. As a public school counselor with a large caseload, I compare our jobs to being a firefighter — we are just putting out fires rather than being proactive and implementing preventative practices. I would love to meet every student on my caseload individually at least once a year… Unfortunately, that is not possible.

When you aren’t working, what do you like to do?
We are definitely a sports-fanatic family. Both of my kids play basketball, so every weekend we are in a gym cheering them on! When we are at home, we watch and root for the Green Bay Packers #GoPackGo, the Milwaukee Bucks, or any of the other Wisconsin sports teams.

If you could be any fictional character, who would it be and why?
I love big blockbuster action movies, so it would have to be a superhero of some sort. I loved the Batman movie when it came out with Michael Keaton; I remember waiting for hours at the movie theater to watch it. I think I was in 6th grade! Both Black Panther movies were amazing as well. So, either Batman or Black Panther!

 

Published March 3, 2025