Over the past five years, Upper School counselor Jane Knoche has been a vital part of the Latin community, known not just for her guidance, but the warm space she has created within the building.
While Ms. Knoche’s impact at Latin today is clear, counseling wasn’t the job she originally envisioned for herself. Initially working in advertising, she quickly realized it wasn’t the right fit for her.
After spending a year working on Frosted Flakes cereal, Ms. Knoche returned to school to pursue a degree in counseling.
“When I eventually applied to school for counseling, my mom reminded me that in high school, my psychology and sociology teacher was like, ‘You’re going to go into finance because of your family history, and then you’re going to hate it and be a school counselor,’ which is exactly what happened,” Ms. Knoche said.
Though the fields may seem disparate, Ms. Knoche sees profound connection between them. “Although advertising and counseling are two very different things, I think both are about what drives people's motivation and behavior," she said.
Returning to DePauw University, from which she had received a B.A., for an M.Ed., she immersed herself in an overnight psychiatric triage unit. “I did love the hospital setting,” she said. “I loved it because it felt so team-based and so fast-paced; it was just the overnights that really killed you.”
But, as she began to consider her long-term personal goals and career ambitions, Ms. Knoche’s priorities started to shift. Ultimately, a friend from graduate school asked Ms. Knoche why she hadn’t considered working at a school, which could widen opportunities in both her personal and professional life.
“Transitioning to a school made it a lot more manageable to have a family,” Ms. Knoche said.
Ms. Knoche’s career pivot ultimately transformed counseling at Latin. Anneliese Kranz, Ms. Knoche’s partner in the Counseling Department, said, “I think she deserves a lot of credit at Latin for normalizing counseling. She's just very good at getting students to get back to more of a baseline so that they can move on with their day.”
This impact has reshaped how students utilize their counselors. Ms. Kranz said, “She made it so that you can come see us even if it's not a mental health concern. She's kind of changed the way that students at Latin view counseling.”
Senior Joey Fineberg echoed Ms. Kranz’s analysis. She said, “Ms. Knoche has helped me through some of the hardest moments of high school, and at the same time, she helped me realize that I can talk to her when I am happy, not just when I’m struggling.”
Junior Naomi Herman, who frequently reaches out to Ms. Knoche for guidance, attributes this talent to her skills in understanding others’ feelings. “She doesn’t just listen, she gets what you’re trying to say even when you don’t,” Naomi said.
These skills at connecting with others translate to her relationships with faculty as well..
“She is the person that you go to as an educator when you’re facing your most challenging situations,” Ninth and 10th Grade Dean Lenny Goldman said. “I know if I bring in Ms. Knoche, she's going to be the most valuable partner. If there are follow-up or action steps that need to be taken, she will make them happen. And I think that not only speaks to who she is and her values, but also to her commitment to being an educator.”
Collaboration and passion are roots of how Ms. Knoche approaches her work. She described watching students grow into themselves as her favorite part of the job, adding, “Especially working with teenagers, they’re at such a pivotal point in their lives.”
When balancing her caseload, Ms. Knoche leverages skills she developed through her experience in hospitals, where she learned to prioritize complex situations without dismissing other students. “Similar to a hospital setting,” she said, “we have people make appointments, but if someone comes in with something that's at a higher level—there’s a safety concern or something more immediate—we need to be flexible and move things around."
However, these triage skills don’t impede upon Ms. Knoche’s attention to her students. Senior Catarina Santana, who is the assistant for the counselors, said, “Even when she’s busy, she makes you feel like you’re the only person she’s focused on.”
While some students frequently stop by her office, Ms. Knoche encouraged those who have not yet to “challenge whatever preconceived notions [they] have about the counselors’ office and come see that we can be a sounding board for you and provide support for anything."
