‘A bittersweet goodbye’
Because of the lack of college counselor jobs that were available at the time, Nix became an English teacher at Austin High for a few years until she fulfilled the role of college counselor there. Nix held this role for four years until the former McCallum college counselor, Nancy Nitardy, retired at the end of the school year in 2020. Nix saw the opportunity to become the college counselor at the school she once attended, McCallum. She then reached out to former McCallum principal Nicole Griffith to see if she could interview for the position.
“I loved McCallum, and I still love McCallum,” Nix said. “I think also what’s unique to McCallum is just the way [the kids] all integrate with each other. It’s not nearly as cliquey as the typical high school and [everyone’s] much more open to getting to know one another across groups and that kind of thing.”
“Of course I would love for Ms. Nix to remain at McCallum for many more years, but I understand that opportunities like this don’t come along often and must be embraced,” Baxa said. “She has been invaluable to our graduating classes, guiding students through every step of the application process. But her influence extends far beyond college applications, Ms. Nix is always there for our students and genuinely wants each one to succeed.”
In addition to being there for the students, Baxa acknowledges how Nix was there for him during his transition from assistant principal to principal.
“She has been incredibly supportive of me in my transition,” Baxa said. “I will miss her authenticity as well. Ms. Nix tells you like it is and I respect the direct approach.”
Because Smith works closely with seniors, she sees the first hand impact that Nix has on them.
“She has been such a blessing to our seniors, so much more than just the most knowledgeable college and career counselor possible,” Smith said. “She has been a place where kids can celebrate the highs and also a place where they have found comfort for the really tough times. She does so much for our seniors, but I think they will miss most her warm, inviting room and the joy she brings to our campus.”
Fine arts counselor Shelley Goldstein also worked in close proximity with Nix when it came to helping students with applying for college.
“Ms. Nix helps me with my seniors to make sure that we get everything done for their application to college,” Goldstein said. “She knows everything that there is to know about Naviance, deadlines and what I need to do to make sure my students are in the best possible place to apply to college and to be accepted into the program that is perfect for them.”
From Winter’s perspective as a colleague, Nix’s ability to make everybody around them feel noticed, important and worth the effort stood out most.
“I always felt like she cared about me and what I was doing and appreciated me,” Winter said. “If you have enough people like that in your life, you’re lucky. My memory of working here with her is just constantly having moments like that where we would have real conversations and I felt seen and acknowledged and appreciated.”
One instance when Nix made Winter feel special was when Winter returned to McCallum to say hello to her. Nix then told Winter about her decision to leave because she didn’t want him to find out through an email.
“Again, I felt special and like I mattered,” Winter said. “She just always makes me feel that way. She’s one of my favorites, not just as a colleague, but people on the planet.”
“In spite of so many people feeling like they need her, she was able to step back and take care of herself,” Pierce said. “It takes a lot for someone to choose their own wellbeing when faced with overwhelming responsibility and she did it.
One of the ways that Nix helped Pierce in their application process was in easing their nerves about feeling behind everyone else.
“I had seen and heard everyone talking about college and I didn’t even have a list of places I wanted to go to but after one visit [to Nix’s], I felt put together,” Pierce said. “She gives me a clear head and a space to bounce back my thoughts and rationalize.”
Pierce felt the unconditional love of Nix after Nix was the first to congratulate their acceptance into Xavier University in Louisiana.
“Honestly for me just losing that classroom as a place to work will definitely be a challenge,” Pruner said. “I like how her classroom door was always open. It made the classroom feel bigger and less restricting.”
When Pruner initially heard the news about Nix’s retirement, he was shocked and disappointed that he and his classmates won’t have her to guide them through the college process especially since he’s heard that she goes above and beyond with everything she does for the students.
Fellow junior Athena Wintle feels similarly to Pruner, but is also really excited that Nix is taking new opportunities. Without Nix, Wintle will be relying more on her senior friends who are going through the process right now.
“Hopefully [the seniors] can give me the tips and tricks,” Wintle said. “I think it’ll be really hard for the students to get used to a new college advisor, if there is one. Everyone kind of knew Ms. Nix and was really comfortable with her but it’ll be hard to adjust to someone new. It’s like we are all going through a breakup.”
Hamlet has three children: John Hamlet, Sofia Hamlet and Sara Hamlet, who have all received help from Nix.
“As a foreigner, I had no knowledge of how to support our kids through the ever more complex college application process,” Hamlet said. “Ms. Nix is an invaluable asset to the school community.”
Although Nix won’t be on campus during the spring semester, she will be available for students to connect her with questions they might have.
“Mr Baxa and I did talk about me in the spring helping out with whatever is needed whether that be Zoom or just from home doing stuff like mid year transcripts,” Nix said. “There’s processes that go through me that if there’s not someone hired yet to do it, they’re going to need someone to do it.”
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