Hudson High School’s longest-standing guidance counselor, Mrs. Laudato, offers many students and staff fantastic support and assistance on a daily basis. Laudato went to a small, all-girls Catholic high school, where she had supportive teachers and great friendships. She participated in numerous athletics and clubs. “If I could go back to high school in that time, 1976 to 1980, I would go back in a heartbeat; it was such a wonderful experience for me,” she noted.
Laudato knew that she wanted to go into education after having such phenomenal role models for teachers and counselors in school. The only obstacle was that she didn’t exactly know what part of education she wanted to get into – one thing she did know was that it was not going to be math. Her strongest interest area was psychology; however, she knew that a teaching certificate in that would limit her due to the fact that, at the time, jobs for that position were only offered part-time.
She went to college and received her undergraduate degree in psychology and theology with a teaching certification in psychology. “As luck would have it, I didn’t know what I was going to do because it’s pretty limited, and out of the blue Hoban High School in Akron called me in July 1985 and asked me to come interview and offered me a job.”
She taught theology for five years full-time to ninth and tenth-grade students at Hoban. She then taught three psychology classes and three theology classes. “I really had the best of both worlds.” She reminisced on the comfort she had teaching in a smaller environment incredibly similar to the one in which she was taught.
Around her eighth year at Hoban, Laudato grew bored with her current position and did not feel as though she was giving back enough to her students. She pursued her master’s degree in education at the University of Akron. It was a slight challenge working full-time and attending school in the evenings, but she felt comfortable juggling everything because of the supportive teachers she encountered over the years. “From kindergarten to when I graduated with my master’s, I’ve had incredible teachers, I’ve been very lucky,” she recalls.
Laudato graduated in 1995 with her master’s, which worked out well for her, since, at that time, many school counselors were beginning to retire. After eight interviews and five job offers, she knew she wanted to be a part of the Hudson High School staff. Interestingly enough, she thought she completely blew her interview at Hudson since it was so casual. It was meant to be, however, because the interview she thought she did the best at did not end up offering her a position.
She received her offer from Hudson on August 1, 1995 and has been with us for 27 years. “I never looked back, I love what I do. It’s changed so much, but this is where I belong.”
Her high school counselor taught her so much and always encouraged her to pursue her dreams, so she just always knew this is where she wanted to be. “I think there was always something in me because I had such great teachers all the way through, and it inspired me. I really wanted to do the same thing for kids.”
A typical day for Mrs. Laudato is never typical; responsibilities vary on a day-to-day basis. Since Covid, she has noticed that there is a severely heightened amount of depression and anxiety among the students. The job has always been fast-paced, but it is especially now more than ever with the ever-increasing needs. She enjoys the fast-paced environment, however, and is more than happy to help and support her students through their hard times. “We [the guidance counselors] take a lot of things home with us…we worry about our kids. We never really leave it at work. I’m always on email at night and making sure kids are okay.”
She is motivated by knowing that when she walks in the doors of Hudson High School, no matter how bad of a day she is having, she is making a positive impact on at least one person every single day. “That’s what keeps me going…when I’m driving to work that’s what I’m thinking about.” Her ultimate goal at Hudson before retirement is to leave a legacy as a respectable counselor who was caring, who did her job as well as she could and who has been a support to her colleagues and students. “When I walk out of those doors for the last time, I just want to make sure that’s what I’ve been known for, and that I listened and did the best I could for everyone.”
Mrs. Chadima, another counselor at Hudson and a close colleague of Laudato for the last 15 years, can affirm that this legacy has already been built. She described Laudato as “compassionate, supportive, a team player, and always wanting to do whatever she can to help others.” Chadima is often inspired by Ladauto as she observes her in meetings and interactions with students and staff.
Given Laudato’s history of remarkable, inspirational teachers and counselors, her career in education was undoubtedly meant to be. The Hudson community is incredibly grateful for her contributions throughout the years. Her legacy as a spectacular counselor will live on for years to come within the school building and within all the hearts of the many people that she has impacted during her past 37 years in education.
