Canton resident joins staff at Great River Connections Academy

Alana Pustay, of Canton, joined the faculty at Great River Connections Academy this year as the Manager of Counseling Services. She had previously worked for several years as a middle school counselor for the Louisville City School District.

She said she came to Great River Connections Academy because she wanted to take her knowledge, strengths and abilities and apply it for a greater good. She started exploring online schools so she could reach more kids in need across all of Ohio.

“When I found the Manager of Counseling position available at GRCA, I knew that was exactly the new challenge I was looking for,” she added. “I wanted to positively impact the counselors that would in turn, impact the kids.”

According to Alana, the learning curve was steep when she transitioned to the virtual classroom. Not only was she working with a new school, but she was new to management, new to online schooling, new to high

school graduation requirements. “It was all quite overwhelming,” she said.

“I am used to being pretty good at my job so it was hard for me to accept that to get good at something, I would have to be bad at it first,” Alana said. “Now that I have gained some footing, learning how to interact and build rapport with kids online is my newest challenge.”

When asked what she finds the biggest difference between working in a traditional school versus the environment at Great River Connections Academy, Alana said it was the culture.

“I could not say enough about the leadership team here at GRCA,” Alana said, “Jason Swinehart (GRCA school leader) has cultivated a team far and above what I could have hoped for. I am so thankful for the funny, helpful, kind and caring staff here at GRCA.”

Alana said her praise of the Great River Connections Academy leadership is significant considering the leadership where she worked previously, Louisville Middle School and Louisville City Schools, was so encouraging and supportive. In fact, the district nominated Alana, and she was selected, as the Ohio School Counselors Association’s “Counselor of the Year.”

According to the ASCA press release, the School Counselor of the Year honors the professionals, like Alana, who devote their careers to serving as advocates for the nation’s students, helping them achieve success in school and in life. As the 2022 Ohio School Counselor of the Year, Alana is now being considered for the American School Counselor of the Year Award.

Upon receiving the award, Alana said there is nothing more special about her than any other counselor she’s ever worked with or known. They all work in the best interest of kids, advocating for the child above all else.

“I do not have the best programming in the world. I am not the most creative counselor. I don’t get into classrooms as much as I want. I make mistakes every single day,” she said. “What I will say is that I love kids, I love my job and love making a difference. I am humbled and honored to be recognized for the passion I have for my students and my profession.”

When it comes to working in the online school setting, Alana said it is not for everyone, nor should it be. She said one of the many blessings of virtual learning is it’s there for the kids who really need it.

“I get to work with some of the brightest kids who are taking all College Credit Plus classes and need me to help them with their schedule. I also get to work with some of the strongest kids who are working two jobs and raising children of their own and need me to help them get to graduation,” Alana said. “Then I get to work with some of the bravest kids who are escaping school bullies, often fighting their own demons and need me to help advocate for them. No matter what brings someone to GRCA - I get to work with the best kids.”