The vision of Building Better Futures is to empower youth and young adults to achieve meaningful and attainable goals through focused planning, self-awareness and accountability.  Creating goals for the future is one of the strongest motivators at our disposal.  Often, youth and young adults have a difficult time forming a vision for their future and/or setting goals to move them toward that vision. At Building Better Futures, we will teach 15-25 year-olds how to identify goals, how to plan the steps necessary to reach those goals and how to hold themselves accountable for following through with their plans. Through scaffolded sessions, these youth will eventually form habits that can be used to build success throughout their adult lives.

I have been in the field of Education and Counseling for 26 years. I’ve taught and counseled at all grade levels. I realized early that my purpose was to guide teens and young adults toward their most productive futures. After teaching for 7 years, I returned to college to get my Masters Degree in School Counseling. I have experience in counseling with Elementary, Middle and High School students, but High School and post-secondary is truly where my passion is. I am currently a High School counselor in St. Johns County Florida. In the years that I have been in this position, I have realized that students don’t always have the access that they should to their School Counselors, who are spread very thin. I’ve also learned that many people aged 15 to 25 are struggling with huge pressure to “figure out” what they want to do with the rest of their lives. That is why I have started Building Better Futures. My goal is certainly not to take the place of any student’s School Counselor, but to be a supplemental help when needed. Whether it is a simple question about a transcript, or a more in depth conversation about planning for the future, my goal is to be available when the school based counselor cannot be. For Homeschool students, I hope to provide knowledge and structure that will lead to a smooth transition into college or career, or back into the public school setting. Thank you for your time! I hope to be able to assist you and your student in the future!

Melody Cashwell, Psy.M.