As students, faculty, and staff of Benilde-St. Margaret’s, we have been blessed with the presence and warmth of guidance counselor Vicky Haas. Her dedication to her students has left a permanent mark on BSM. However, the BSM community prepares to say a hard goodbye as Ms. Haas and her family of four pack up their bags to start a new chapter in Seoul, South Korea.
In 2018, Ms. Haas was given a teaching opportunity as an international guidance counselor in Bangkok, Thailand. She and her husband decided to take a leap and accept the job offer. They lived there for five years until they finally decided it was time to make their way back to the US, where she began working as a guidance counselor here at BSM. “My husband and I always knew we would go back abroad. I’ve had so much fun working here, but it’s just kind of this pull and adventure. We’re adventure seekers, so we figured why not,” Haas said.
Despite her and her husband traveling throughout most of Southeast Asia, they have never visited South Korea before. However, they decided almost immediately that they were going to commit to making this big move. “Ironically, I’ve never been, so I’m going to Korea completely blind. We actually don’t even have friends there besides some of the people we have met through work. The first time we step off the plane will be the first time we visit our new home,” Haas said.
Just like at BSM, Haas will be a high school guidance counselor at an American K-12 School. There, she will take on the task of not only guiding her students’ current academics but helping them apply to universities all over the world. Haas acknowledged that learning Korean would be the hardest thing to adapt to, saying that she and her family have been practicing three to four times a week, though only starting with numbers. “I just don’t want to go into this not learning their language, I want to be apart of their culture as much as I can, and that starts with learning Korean,” Haas said.
I just don’t want to go into this not learning their language, I want to be apart of their culture as much as I can, and that starts with learning Korean.”
— Vicky Haas
Reflecting on her time at BSM, Haas expressed her deep affection for our school community. The strong connections she has made with the students, staff, and families during her time here are what made BSM so special to her. “The students are just awesome here. The connections and relatability, the fact that you guys walk in just my office without anything. That’s probably what I’ll miss the most,” Haas said.