Why Bridgeport? Appreciating BHS's Counseling Staff
By Jon Griffith on August 17, 2024 from Why Bridgeport?
One of the most disappointing things I remember growing up was seeing the first back-to-school commercials on TV each summer. Just after the Fourth of July holiday, I would see those dreaded advertisements that reminded me summer had passed the halfway point and school would soon be back in session.
It also meant in short order it would be time for back-to-school shopping. Growing up in the South Charleston area, for us that meant a trip to the Patrick Street Kmart. New jeans, shirts, notebooks, pens, pencils, etc. were easily found along those store aisles. They had it 
all. This was well before the time of the Town Center Mall, Walmart, and SAMS Club.
all. This was well before the time of the Town Center Mall, Walmart, and SAMS Club.
Even though I was sad to see summer come to an end, the first day of school was always an exciting time. It was thrilling, not because of the shopping trip, but because it was a new beginning. New classes, new teachers, new things to learn. Yes, I was in many ways, a nerd.
As I got older, the end of summer vacation also meant the beginning of organized school sports. While sweating away in full football gear in the August heat wasn’t easy, it was something my friends and I all looked forward to immensely. It helped us forge some unbreakable bonds. It also created mental fortitude, emotional strength, discipline, and a strong sense of resilience in us.
At the peak of the August two-a-day practices though, we did look forward to the start of school to provide us some relief. The same was true when I began my teaching and coaching career. While I wasn’t wearing shoulder pads and a helmet, it was still pretty hot and dusty coaching football in August on the natural grass (or lack thereof) of Wayne Jamison Field back in those days.
Even as a teacher, the start of a new school year held a certain amount of excitement. Sometimes new classes, always a new roster of students, and often new co-workers. I guess I didn’t completely grow out of being a nerd. Perhaps surprisingly, teachers and students share many of the same feelings about the first day of school.
Whether at South Charleston High School, Bridgeport High School, or I’m sure at any other high school, the back-to-school emotions seem pretty much the same. However, a recent visit to my friend and fellow retired Bridgeport High School staff member and coach, Hugh Gainer, made me realize there was something very different between the experiences at the school I attended as a student and the one at 
which I taught.
which I taught.
When I came to Bridgeport High School to student teach and later as a full-time teacher, Hugh Gainer was one of the school’s two guidance counselors, along with Mickey Gerba. He was also the BHS golf team coach winning an impressive four WV State Championships during his tenure. In my opinion, the job Hugh and Mickey did as counselors was even more consequential, however.
What I initially saw at Bridgeport High School was very different from my personal experience in high school. Throughout my high school career as a student, I only recall speaking with my guidance counselor on a single occasion. That was to change my schedule so I didn’t have to take Calculus.
I was allowed to change my schedule, without any pushback, even though I was planning to study Chemistry in college, and Calculus was required in that program. So in the end, I had to take Pre-Calculus, Calculus I, and Calculus II once I got to WVU anyway.
I doubt that would have happened at Bridgeport High School. The counselors at BHS always worked hard to help the students make informed and coherent academic decisions. They encouraged them to work toward their full potential. They were also there to help students sort through any personal, emotional, and social issues they were dealing with.
I watched that type of care and concern for students continue even after the retirement of both Hugh and Mickey. Their replacements followed well in their illustrious predecessors’ footsteps to provide our BHS students with sustained and consistent academic and personal counseling.
During my time at BHS, we were blessed to have been served by Hugh and Mickey, and by those that followed; Barbara Judy, Jane Byrd, Kristina Robinson, and Jenna Edwards. That is a parade of counselors I would stack up against any in the county, state, or beyond. Their
care and compassion for the students they served was amazing.
care and compassion for the students they served was amazing.
Thank you to Hugh, Mickey, Barbara, Jane, Kristina, Jenna, those who preceded them, and those continuing to fulfill the special calling of the school counselor at Bridgeport High School. I am certain thousands of former students, faculty, and administrators would express the same gratitude given the opportunity.
Why Bridgeport? The first day of this new school year begins on Monday for our local students. I am certain the tradition of outstanding counseling will continue at Bridgeport High School. BHS students, please understand that you are blessed to have something I did not.
While you, the current students, may not grasp or appreciate the significance of what your school counselors provide for you, that generally comes in hindsight, you are the recipients of a great gift. Accept it and be grateful.
When you step through the doors of BHS, I know the current school counselors will be there to greet, comfort, encourage, and guide you. To help usher you along the path to your very bright future. Know that they are there for you when you need them. Just reach out.
Understand that they get overwhelmed sometimes too. So be patient and kind. They will help you to the best of their ability, time, and knowledge.
The beginning of school is a hectic time. There are new classes, new teachers, new students and friends. But in short order, everything settles into a routine.
Notebooks fill with notes. Lockers fall victim to clutter. Quizzes and tests are scheduled. Days, weeks, and months pass and you eventually begin looking forward to the next summer break. Before you know it, you will be graduating. It goes faster than you think.
Students, please do me a favor. At some point during the school year, take the time to thank your counselor for all that they do. They deserve it.
Editor's Note: Top photo is of Hugh Gainer, while Mickey Gerba and her husband Jay Springer are shown in the second photo. Bottom image, by Ben Queen Photography, is of the late Barbara Judy.
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