There’s a new school counselor in town.

Arriving after one year spent at Soddy Daisy High School, Ms. Olivia Nugent will work primarily with sophomore students.

“I am very excited to be working at Central,” said Nugent, who is starting her second year working in education.

Nugent studied at Ohio State University to earn her Bachelor’s in Science and Human Development and Family Science. Later, she attended Edinboro University where she received her Masters of Science in School Counseling degree.

“My favorite part of being a counselor is getting to meet all the students and helping them become the best versions of themselves,” she said.

Nugent said she hopes to make a difference at Central by taking time to notice students who might go unnoticed and to help them be more engaged in social interactions.

“I want to be able to help out all students in any way that they need to start the school year off right and have a successful year,” she added.

Helping students succeed and believe in themselves are qualities Nugent holds dear.

“I’ve always wanted to go into a profession that revolved around helping people,” she explained. “I definitely knew that I wanted to work with kids, so that was one of my biggest requirements (for a future job).”

She said that when she was a college student, she really took the time to assess what her personal strengths were and she realized that she got lots of fulfillment from helping other people recognize their potential.

Nugent is relatively new to Chattanooga, but has already found a new favorite restaurant: Tony’s Pasta Shop & Trattoria  Her favorite dish there is spaghettini con crudo.

“I also like spending time outside with my husband (Mike) and my dog (Finnegan) and exercising to keep a healthy mindset,” she said.