1 Latino High School Students ’ Perceptions and Preferred Characteristics of High School Counselors

With a trendsetting change in the demographic population of public high school students, school counselors need to be equipped with multicultural competence to better understand the needs of the students they serve, especially Latino students. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to obtain Latino high school students’ perceptions and preferred characteristics of their school counselor. Students ’ responses indicate that there is a lack of awareness of the role and function of school counselors among Latino students. In addition, students reported the need for a translator and the need for Hispanic school counselors, or, for the school counselor to speak Spanish. Implications for school counselors and counselor educators are provided