SPRINGFIELD -- Being a middle school counselor is often a thankless job, with small victories sprinkled throughout a hectic schedule. That’s why many people consider Gloria Morris, a counselor at Pipkin Middle School, to be an everyday hero.
If the old adage - it takes a village to raise a child – is true, then Morris is the queen of Pipkin Middle School.
“Some students don't realize, she really cares about Pipkin,” said eighth grade student Tiffany Barker.
On any given day, you'll find this middle school counselor walking the halls, talking, laughing and listening to students.
“Some people would say this is a difficult age,” a reporter noted.
“Do you like roller coasters? It's kind of like that, you're up then you're down,” said Morris. “I'm in love with what I do.”
It's not just that Morris does this day-after-day. She's been doing this day after day, at the same school, for almost four decades.
“She really cares for Pipkin; if not, she wouldn't have stayed for so long,” said Tiffany.
“It's touching to see I've helped someone,” said Morris.
Sometimes, getting a thank you from the pre-teens never happens. Often, the word comes years later.
“Three weeks ago, a 42-year-old student came up to me and said, ‘Thank you; you rescued me,’” said Morris.
To understand the challenges that Morris faces, you must first understand the school. Eight out of 10 Pipkin students get a free or reduced lunch thanks to their parents’ economic stress. Over half of the kids come from a single-parent home, and some live at the Missouri Hotel. That’s why it's easy to understand why kids might have needs that go beyond a textbook, a test score or a homework assignment.
“We used to have a (state social service) worker but no longer have one because of budget. Who picks up the slack? Gloria Morris,” said teacher Steve Ingalsbe.
Ingalsbe nominated Morris as an everyday hero. This 23-year veteran of the Navy can count the number of heroes in his life on one hand; Morris is one.
“Sometimes people do things that don't have great magnitude on a single day but do it over and over and over; you add it up, that's an everyday hero,” said Ingalsbe.
Morris hasn't set a date for retirement from Pipkin; when she does, she wants to continue helping families. She's thinking about becoming a conflict mediator for the courts.