If you’ve ever stopped by the College and Career Center for a last minute chat as the deadlines loomed for college applications, or if you’ve ever flipped through the job opportunities binder for a source of cash or if you’ve ever needed help with deciding which college would be your best fit, you’ve probably met college and career coordinator Bryna Blaine.
Blaine works directly with students and parents, helping them make decisions between going to college, joining the military or jumping straight into the work force. Should students choose to go to a college, she assists them in figuring out whether they would fit a two-year or four-year college, and what they would like to do when they get there.
Blaine has made it her life’s work to help people. Between helping a client obtain financial aid as a licensed social worker and working with a student to set up a “game plan” for life after high school, she always strives to help in some way.
“Basically, everything that I’ve ever done has been people-oriented,” said Blaine.
Blaine didn’t always know that she wanted to be a college and career coordinator. Before she began working for MCPS, she experimented with social work and banking. Even throughout her 31-year career with MCPS, during which she always wanted to be a college and career coordinator, she bounced from one career to another. In fact, only 10 of those 31 years have been spent working in a career center.
Having worked at other high schools, Blaine finds that she has enjoyed her stay at WJ the most.
“There’s just a wonderful feeling of involvement here,” she said of the environment at WJ. “[The students] are all smart and do well in school, but beyond that, [they] involve [themselves] in the community. I really like teenagers, and the particular teenagers here are really special.”
Born and raised in her father’s home state of New Jersey, Blaine is very family-oriented. Pictures of family members decorate her desk, as she speaks of her love of traveling to Portland, Ore. to visit her son. If she could, she would spend a lot more time traveling than she does already.
Along with her love for family and travel, Blaine considers herself to be quite the bookworm. After pondering for a few moments about what she would bring with her on a deserted island, she settled on a computer for communication, a good friend or two and all of the books that she always wanted to read and never had time to.
“I figure, while I’m here on this desert island, I’d like to take advantage of the opportunity to read,” said Blaine.
Sometimes, Blaine wishes she were retired on a beach in Maui. But she finds that most of her satisfaction comes from working with others, and feels that a certain sense of gratification comes from helping those in need. She says it would be difficult for her to give that feeling up.
Her passion for counseling and supporting seems to stem largely from one important character trait.
“I’m a social person, and I like to be around people,” she said.
