As the new school year begins to unfold, Bear River’s new counselors, Carrey Bussey and “KC” Wachs- Worden, shedded light on their backgrounds and excitements for the year. 

Mrs. Wachs- Worden says she grew up in Southern California, and moved to Folsom during her middle school experience. She knew teaching was in the cards for her at 18 years old, as her dreams were along that path. She attended UC Berkeley for college, and began her journey in education from there. Mrs. Wachs- Worden has only been a counselor for two years, but has had a career in education for over 20 years as an English teacher. She says she has taught abroad as well. 

“I went to South America for a year, my first year of teaching was in Paraguay,” she said. 

 She says her inspiration for counseling came from her students and how much she cared about them.

“In some ways I have been a counselor for years,” she said. “Every kid has issues right, every kid needs love. It doesn’t matter where they live or where they are from. Every kid needs love and nurturing.”

She has definitely displayed this to the many students who have met with her. Student Adam Degruccio explained that he had a great experience with Mrs. Wachs- Worden. 

“She is helpful, kind, and really understanding,” he stated. “She definitely gets the vibe of teenagers.” 

Adam along with many other students absolutely feel compelled to reach out to her for other issues. Mrs. Wachs- Worden is a mom, and takes great pride in it. Outside of school you can find her hanging out with friends, walking, reading and traveling, but she says hanging out with her family is her favorite activity. 

“I know everybody says this, but I love spending time with my family.”

So far, it has been confirmed that Mrs. Wachs- Worden has brought a personable and delightful presence to Bear River. 

Mrs. Bussey is a Northern California native who grew up in a small town outside of Yosemite. She went down to Southern California for college and worked in that area as well. She has been a counselor for over 20 years along with some other positions in education. 

“I’ve been on a journey,” she said. “I went to Southern California for my education, did a lot of teaching, school counseling, and social work before I moved back up to Northern California. I’m excited to join the Nevada County school district.”

She has described her new position at Bear River as coming home on her journey. She is coming back to her small town roots and is excited for the coming years.

“I feel like I’m in Finding Nemo,” she said. “You have to just keep swimming until you find your home, and I feel like I have.” 

 Her experience with the staff and students has been pleasant for her and she is impressed with the maturity of Bear River students. Mrs. Bussey’s inspiration for counseling came from her very own highschool counselor who encouraged her to get out into the world and explore her passions.

“Better together is my whole thing, we look different, we have different values, different beliefs but we can still be nice to each other,” she said. 

Outside of school you can find her exploring the outdoors and supporting her students. She loves attending her student’s events to show her support and be there for them.

Student Wyaltt Montano praised her inclusive values.

“She is understanding, a very good person, treats people very well, is very helpful and lots more,” he said.