Nakamoto finds path as counselor, guides students through challenges

Walking into counselor Cory Nakamoto’s office, one immediately notices the pictures of his family on his desk and the numerous posters around the room. Students walk in and out of the office throughout the year, whether it’s for discussing something academic or personal.

Nakamoto has worked in education for 17 years, two at a Berkeley High School, four at a Millbrae High School, and 11 with MHS since 2011, he said. Although he has spent a large part of his career around students, he said that wasn’t always the plan.

“I did my undergrad at Chico State in psychology, but then I graduated, and … I actually thought I was going to become a firefighter … and realized at the end, I did not actually want to work in that field for the rest of my life,” Nakamoto said. 

The experience of bouncing around interests is largely a testament to how experimental figuring out careers or lifestyles can be, and so it’s important for students to not stress over that process, Nakamoto said. 

“You kind of get to define independence … the choices you make, the people you meet, the things that you do — it teaches you a lot about yourself. You have to trust in the process that these things work themselves out over time,” Nakamoto said. 

He did not always see himself doing counseling, but reflected back on his own experience when thinking about his role now, Nakamoto said. 

“I did not always know I wanted to do counseling. I think that this was always in the back of my head as a possibility,” Nakamoto said. “I had a high school counselor that met with me once, and asked just a couple of questions, sent me on my way, so I got zero help,” Nakamoto shared. 

What largely reaffirms his purpose to the city of Milpitas and its school community is the student population, Nakamoto said. He notes that something about the city is prideful, so much so that it has kept him here in spite of working at other high schools across the Bay Area, he added.

“I’m in the exact same position, every single minute of every day, but [the] stories and the situations that come through my door keep this job very fresh and new,” Nakamoto shared.

Working with students with a variety of different issues, viewpoints, and questions has ultimately had an effect on how he parents his two sons, Nakamoto added. 

“Seeing the struggles that students have been through, and how they overcome [them] and how their parents parent them … has made me reflect on my role as a father,” Nakamoto said. “It’s opened my eyes a ton. When I see students that are really thriving and succeeding … I take note of those things as well. I want nothing but the best for all (of) my students, and a lot of the same things that I tell my kids at home are the things that I tell my students here,” he said.

Ever since Nakamoto’s sons came into his life, it has redefined the role he plays in the world, Nakamoto said. 

“It’s the most rewarding thing to me. So a lot of my time goes to spending time with my boys and my family … Whether it’s driving them to and from sporting events, or just hanging out in our backyard,” Nakamoto said. 

Senior Kaden Nguyen, who has Nakamoto as his counselor, said that his counselor meetings often last through whole class periods, and added how important Nakamoto is to his personal life. They discuss a range of issues, such as college applications, paths towards success, and problems at home, said Nguyen. After seeing his personal improvement from counseling, Nguyen said that the broader student body should try building a relationship with their own counselors. 

“It’s really worth it because you leave these counseling appointments with a very optimistic standpoint … And just (for) people who haven’t really built that connection with their counselors, do that as soon as possible,” Nguyen said. 

Julie Cler, guidance counselor at MHS, reflected on what Nakamoto is like within the “tight-knit team of counselors”; he shares the same goal as other counselors on campus, which is to support the student body, added Cler.

“He really cares about the kids … I think his main goal is to make sure that you guys as students are able to manage high school and reach your potential,” Cler said.

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