With a strong passion for helping people, Sheryl Shyloski has found the perfect job for herself as ELHS’s new psychologist.
“My understanding is they are looking to increase mental health support…For a lot of districts coming out of COVID
there is a greater appreciation for what students and teachers have gone through and we see increasing requests for that kind of help,” Ms. Shyloski said.
Ms. Shyloski joined the ELHS support staff as a mid-year hire in October, coming from her previous job as school psychologist in Guilford Public Schools for 15 years. Prior to becoming a school psychologist, Ms. Shyloski completed a two-year internship at the Whiting Forensic Institution and worked at the Pond House at Lawrence and Memorial hospital.
“It was very disheartening because there was a high level of need,” Ms. Shyloski said. She loved her internship, but she dealt with people going through extremely hard times which fell heavy on her heart and she decided it was not the position for her. Following her internship, she also worked as a clinician at the Waterford Country School where she worked with adolescent girls in residential care.
Although she found it to be a lighter position than her previous internship, Ms. Shyloski’s job at the Waterford Country School was still a very heavy job to complete every day. After her time at the Country School, Ms. Shyloski decided that position also wasn’t where she belonged.
“People are being failed by society,” Ms. Shyloski said.
She grew up and went to high school in Stamford where it was extremely unsafe. One wrong move would cause danger for students and after her own tough high school experience, Ms. Shyloski never imagined herself working at a school. She learned that she could help people before they reached extreme levels of mental and behavioral issues and make them feel comfortable with their personal situations.
Ms. Shyloski’s previous jobs and experiences have led her to where she is today. She has spent her career trying to find a balance of finding ways to help people without taking such a heavy toll on her own well being, which she has found here at ELHS.
“It’s going incredibly well, everyone is super nice…Luckily for me, I have been able to just step right in and the other school psychologists have been extremely helpful in introducing me to students,” Ms. Shyloski said. Coming in after the year already started, Ms. Shyloski has taken the task of getting to know hundreds of students in the span of weeks.
Ms. Shyloski’s main objectives in her work are to work with small classes when needed, see students that might need check-ins either once a day or more frequently, and also complete assessments for different students. She also hopes to have a space in her B209 office for any student to come and talk whether they are happy, sad, or just need a break.
“I really am a geek for my job. I love what I do. I’m fascinated by people… I believe that everyone is trying the best they can and if someone is having a bad day that is just where they are at, so this is a judgment-free place,” Ms. Shyloski said. After lots of dedication, time, and effort, Ms. Shyloski has found a job where she is the happiest.
