PAGE A4, KEIZERTIMES, DECEMBER 25, 2020
KeizerCommunity
KEIZERTIMES.COM
MHS counselor among state’s best
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
McNary High counselor
Todd Bobeda calls counsel-
ing the “best job in the world”
and prides himself on trying to
make a difference, one life at a
time.
Bobeda’s commitment to
providing guidance and di-
rection to students in the Sa-
lem-Keizer School District
over the last 15 years hasn’t
gone unnoticed, which is why
he was named a fi nalist for the
2020 Oregon School Counsel-
or of the Year.
“I always longed to be that
person that got to go to that
deeper level of what students’
needs are. For me, I have some
really incredible stories of stu-
dents, and I get to be the one,
mainly just by my position,
that gets to help them to make
a small adjustment in their life
that will hopefully last forever.
It’s such a cool job to take a kid
that is hurting and give them a
little hope,” Bobeda said.
Bobeda was a counselor at
South Salem High School for
13 years before coming to Mc-
Nary as a counselor in 2019.
He was nominated for the
award by the counseling team
at South Salem
“It was a huge recognition
and an awesome honor. It really
meant the world to me,” Bobe-
da said.
During his tenure at South
Salem, the school was recog-
nized as a Recognized ASCA
Model Program (RAMP) three
separate times by the American
School Counselors Association
as the counseling team provid-
ed data on how the school met
the personal, social, academic
and college and career needs
of students. Bobeda said he is
in the process of bringing the
RAMP mindset to
McNary.
“This team at Mc-
Nary is phenomenal.
They have already
had those pieces to-
gether, it’s just that
the presentation of
the data is a lot of
work,” Bobeda said.
Bobeda started at
McNary as a special
education
teacher
from 2004 to 2006,
where he also was
an assistant coach for
the soccer, wrestling
and tennis programs.
Even though he was
at South Salem as a
counselor for over
a decade, Bobeda
felt like he returned
home when he came
back to McNary.
“I have always had
a heart for McNary.
To come back here has been
incredible,” Bobeda said. “Mc-
Nary is kind of my home. Even
when I left, I knew I wanted to
end up back here. I hope I stay
here for a long time. It has been
a cool return.”
Bobeda approaches his work
with joyful exuberance, which
rubs off to both his students and
his coworkers.
“Todd is a great guy — su-
per easy to get along with and
committed to his work. To have
him back at McNary has been
really special. He is a really pos-
itive coworker to have on staff.
He is a glass-half-full kind of
guy. He always fi nds a way to
put a positive spin on anything,”
McNary principal Erik Jespers-
en said. “His positive attitude
transfers to all the people that
he interacts with. He genuine-
ly cares about all the people he
works for and with.”
Todd Bobeda
Along with being a counsel-
or, Bobeda served in the mili-
tary for 25 years before retiring
in April. For the last 16 years,
Bobeda would serve one week-
end per month as a warrant of-
fi cer with the Oregon National
Guard — along with teaching
suicide and depression aware-
ness for soldiers.
Juggling his responsibilities
as a husband and father of four
along with his counseling and
military duties was stressful for
Bobeda at times, but he was
proud to serve his country.
“It was diffi cult because of
12-day work weeks I would
have to endure each month but
it was still pretty cool. It was
fun to be a part of a number
of different units,” Bobeda said.
“And I got to use my counsel-
ing background
to help young
soldiers that were
in need.”
For the last 10
months, Bobeda
has had to rein-
vent the way he
works as a coun-
selor due to the
COVID-19 pan-
demic, relying
mostly on emails
and Zoom calls
when communi-
cation with stu-
dents.
Over
the
course of this
school
year,
Bobeda has been
able to volun-
teer during lim-
ited
in-person
instruction
at
McNary, talking
about
suicide
curriculum in wellness classes.
However, he said his job has
become more diffi cult since the
pandemic began.
“It is a lot different. You have
to work harder, because nobody
is sending kids down when
they have a rough day,” Bobe-
da said. “I miss the facial con-
nection. So much of language
in non-verbal, and some of the
kids that need me the most
won’t pick up a telephone.”
Even though he can’t meet
with kids face-to-face, Bobeda’s
care for his students has never
wavered.
“My goal is to help kids
understand that someone cares
about them. It’s incredible to
have the (administration) at
McNary support like they do. I
love this job,” Bobeda said.
OFC. JENNIFER STARNS
Starns has worked with the
Keizer Police Department for
over two years. She graduat-
ed with a bachelor’s degree in
contemporary music, but then
switched courses to become a
veterinary technician. Though
she loved being surprised with
new challenges every day and
helping animals, it wasn’t the
job she wanted to retire out of.
After going on a few ride-
alongs with a friend she fell in
love with police work and has people on their worst day and
been pursuing it ever since.
Starns’ goal is to relieve their
“It was a little bit tough at suffering.
fi rst because I did not have a
Police as a whole have come
lot of experience,” Starns said. under fi re because of the death
Even so, she has found her of George Floyd at the hands of
stride within the department.
Minneapolis police offi cers, but
Police work is often viewed Starns said doesn’t let that dis-
as a “man’s”
courage her.
job
but
“I just keep thinking
Offi cers from the Keizer
S t a r n s
about how great this
Police Department
(KPD) agreed to sit
doesn’t let
place is to work. The
down and talk with the
that get un-
majority of the public
Keizertimes as part of a
der her skin. series of profi les on fi rst
still really appreciates
responders in Keizer.
She said ev-
us and the Keizer com-
ery offi cer
munity has showered
brings dif-
us with love. They sent
ferent skills to the table and all cards and goodies and more
of them are needed to have a sweets than we could ever pos-
well-rounded department.
sibly eat,” Starns said.
“It’s not a guy’s job. There
The job has its hard mo-
are physical requirements, like ments, but Starns is grateful
you have to be strong but you to be able to work in a time
also have to be able to talk to where so many American’s fi nd
people. That’s a huge part of it themselves out of a job, even if
too,” Starns said.
it’s only paperwork. Starns has
She wanted to be a police been on light duty since July
offi cer because she desired to due to a knee injury, but hopes
help people. Police often see to be back on the road soon.
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