School Counselor Page

My name is Dusty Ruehling, and I am the School Counselor at LMS for 

the 23-24 School Year.  I am very excited to be a part of the LMS family, 

and I look forward to working with the students, parents, faculty, staff, 

and other stakeholders in this community.  

 

I am a Tennessee native, growing up in the small town of 

Gruetli-Laager, TN, in Grundy County.  I graduated from 

Grundy County High School in 2004.  I went to college

at Union University in Jackson, TN, where I graduated

with a Bachelor's in Social Work in 2008.  I then spent a 

year interning as a Mentor/Direct Care Staff at Shelterwood

Academy, a Christian boarding school in Kansas City, MO.  

After a gap year and a brief stent attending seminary in 

Wake Forest, NC, I took a job as a Social Worker at Amedisys

Home Health and Hospice in January, 2012.  I spent the 

next decade assisting clients with community resource

assistance, social/emotional support, and long term/end

of life planning.  

 

While working in health care is a rewarding experience, 

it also wears on one's heart, mind, body, and soul.  This 

feeling of fatigue was exacerbated by the stressors

that accompanied the COVID pandemic.  So, in Fall 2021, 

I decided to enroll in TN Tech's School Counseling program.  

I graduated with my Master's Degree in July 2023.  

 

This brings me back to the present moment where I am 

currently in the midst of my first year as a School Counselor.

Given that I am new to the educational setting, I realize I 

have a lot to learn.  At the same time, my prior education

and employment has provided me with a wealth of experience

that I can lean on as I help teach and guide students during

their time at Middle School.  The transition from childhood

to adolescence that occurs during these pivotal years is 

an exciting yet difficult time for these students, and my 

goal is to partner with the rest of the LMS faculty and staff 

to lead them through this process as smoothly as possible.  

Thank you for providing me the privilege and opportunity to 

do so.