Erin Sturgeon is a new school counselor at Wiscasset Elementary School this year but she isn’t new to counseling students.

Sturgeon graduated from University of Maine in Orono with a degree in childhood development and family relations in 2014. Then she began her career in advocacy, working in domestic violence shelters and at a sexual assault agency in Brunswick. During this time, she worked as an educator, going into schools to teach students about healthy relationships, boundaries and consent. Sturgeon wanted to establish deeper connections with her students and work more as a counselor so began working on her master’s degree in 2018.

Sturgeon completed her master’s in counselor education with a concentration in school counseling from University of Southern Maine last May.

She worked as an educational technician in Topsham, implementing a therapeutic behavior program while working on her degree. She left that job after the birth of her second child. Last year, she worked at Georgetown Central School as a school counselor. In addition, she completed a practicum at Poland Regional High School and Bruce Whittier Middle School, and counseled students at Hall-Dale Middle School this spring. 

Born in Massachusetts, Sturgeon moved to Moultonborough, New Hampshire at 3 and lived there five years before moving to Bangor. Sturgeon remembers Moultonborough fondly. It was one of her favorite places to live. She completed elementary and high school in Bangor.

She was a softball player, cheerleader and student council member. She said these activities provided her with support during a “tough upbringing” which eventually led her on the path to becoming a counselor. In 2015, she and husband Mark Sturgeon moved to Brunswick where she lives now.

Sturgeon uses Second Step, an evidence-based, social-emotional learning curriculum, in her work with students. She meets weekly with students in pre K through grade two, teaching lessons on building resilience, growth mindset, listening and coping skills. Classroom teachers also use the Second Step curriculum reinforcing the skills with their students. Later in the school year, she will also use a program called Mind Up, a science-based mindfulness curriculum which teaches students how their brains work. Sturgeon likes to begin each class with a mindful minute, teaching breathing techniques, yoga and other strategies to help students with self-regulation.

When asked about her hobbies, Sturgeon quickly responded “CrossFit.” She believes it is important to have a balance between work, her home life and self care. She feels taking care of herself allows her to be at her best when working with her students or spending time with her husband and two small children. She is grateful for the support of her husband and his parents which made it possible for her to complete her master’s.

Sturgeon has been focusing on building trust with the students as she works with them this year and looks forward to continuing to build a relationship with each student at WES. “I love all my students!”