There comes a point in every administrator’s career when they must say goodbye to their beloved students and co-workers, and move on to bigger and better things. For high school counselor Dylan Hackbarth, that moment will come at the end of this school year. Although it may be hard for both faculty and students alike, LB must bid Hackbarth farewell.

“This summer I will be moving to Minneapolis, Minnesota,” Hackbarth said. “I moved out here for graduate school with my (now) fiance. We had intended to be here for a while. But we’re getting married this coming August, and it’s kinda just time to get a little closer to family.”

Although his time at LB was short, Hackbarth impacted many, creating bonds with a large amount of the student body and fellow staff members and bringing new life and energy to the school in general.

“He just brought a sense of fun to the job when it can get really monotonous, and it really hard,” high school counselor Deb Brown said. “With the weight of some of the things that we deal with he just brings a sense of lightness to it. That’s definitely going to be missed next year.”

Making the jobs of all those around him easier was only one of Hackbarth’s qualities. The relationship he had with the students he counseled has also been special, building trust with everyone he came to know, and becoming friends with a vast majority of the people in the building, all in a matter of two years.

“He’s like one of us,” junior Nijeh Argabright said, “but he’s more mature.”

Having good relations with the students is an essential part of being a counselor, and it is a field in which Hackbarth happens to excel in.

“I felt like no one was behind me, but he was there for me, pushing me forward,” Argabright said.

With the leave of Hackbarth, a new counselor will replace him. This is something that has happened many times before in the counseling department when a counselor leaves.
Though this transition will more than likely be smooth, some students will still feel his absence.

“They might not be as caring,” junior Alpha Berhane said. “[Hackbarth] cares like we are his children. He goes the extra mile. I’m sure the next person will, too, but I know I won’t be as close with him.”

It is also difficult for Hackbarth to say goodbye to all of the students he has become friends with.

“Once you build relationships with kids, it’s kind of hard to step away from that,” Hackbarth said.

Along with the students, there are a multitude of things that Hackbarth will miss.

“I love working at Lake Braddock because the students are awesome. The families are great, and I love working with the staff,” Hackbarth said. “It takes a lot of work being a new person in any job. It’s only my second year, but I’ve really felt that I’ve had a lot of opportunities here to get to know cool kids and get to do cool stuff and really start to build relationships with staff; so it’s hard to step away from that.”

It will be hard for all those who knew Hackbarth to watch him leave everything he has accomplished in only two years. Hackbarth will be missed.