With the school year ending soon, North Harford will bid farewell to Mrs. Tricia Uppercue who will be retiring.. Uppercue has been working with HCPS for 30 years.

     The counselor started her career as a high school English teacher for 8 years. Eventually, she was  able to come to the profession she is in today as a school counselor. For 22 years, Uppercue said she has been working with students and helping to support them.

     Retirement is looked at as a point of reflection according to Uppercue. She wants to look back on the last 30 years she has spent in her career and think about “the impact [she has] had on others and the impact others have had on [her].” She said she wants to use this point of her life to pursue other passions and dreams.

     Many of Uppercue’s colleagues said they will miss her very much after she leaves. Mrs. Jennifer Behler, a part of the counseling team, believes that she learned a lot from Uppercue within a very short period of time.

     According to Behler, Uppercue is “a wonderful counselor who always puts her students first.” Behler is very excited to hear that Uppercue will be starting this new chapter of her life but will “will definitely miss her next year.”

     Mrs. Christle Henzel, school psychologist, said she feels lucky to be able to work with Uppercue. She comments that she  is “an extremely caring, compassionate individual” who has been quite helpful to the students she has worked with according to Henzel. She mentions that Uppercue has “has helped countless students” with mental health and their academic careers. Henzel adds, “North Harford High School will not be the same without her.”

     Over the years Uppercue comments that she has been very fond of her career. She says, “As a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, I enjoy the counseling component of my job.”  Specifically, she enjoys “utilizing [her] certifications in animal-assisted and equine-assisted activities and therapy and using the animals at NHHS to help support students.”

     Mr. Mark Szot also has worked with Uppercue for many years. According to Szot, Uppercue is very dedicated and skilled within her profession.

     To both students and staff, Szot believes Uppercue has “demonstrated empathy, unconditional positive regard, and genuineness.” He says, “We will miss her sense of humor and wish her all the best as she begins the next chapter of her life.”

  Uppercue would like to say, “Thank you to everyone who has been a part of my journey”.