Always facilitating the Pine View staff and students, eighth and ninth-grade guidance counselor Paula Lindsey is known for her kind and giving nature. This coming school year, will be taking a leave of absence for a year to work on Waves of Love, a non-profit organization created by both Lindsey and her husband. Leaving June 5, she will be working in Nicaragua alongside her husband to provide everyone down there hope.
Growing up in Missouri, Lindsey went on and attended the University of South Florida for her associate degree. After, she did an exchange through York St. John University in England and transferred to the University of Central Florida for a Bachelor in the Arts in radio and television broadcast communications.
Prior to working at Pine View, Lindsey worked multiple jobs, such as being a waitress to working in the emergency room in the business office. For a period of time, Lindsey worked in the corporate world to fulfill her desire of helping people. Working as a compliance officer, she acted as a liaison between the bank and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. But, she disliked it, prompting her to return to school and attend Argosy University. “That totally wasn’t for me. Instead of helping people, I was telling them what they were doing wrong and how they needed to correct their actions — that is just against my nature,” she said. “My nature is what you’re doing right and how you need to build on that. So, it was a struggle for me. Even though the money was great, there was no love. That’s when I went back to school.”
Before coming to Pine View, Lindsey worked at Ashton Elementary School. Afterward, she traveled to Nicaragua to work on Waves for Love with her husband when she received the news that she had become part of Pine View’s staff. “I didn’t even know I was working here. I was down at Nicaragua. Another counselor — a friend of mine — emailed my personal account and said, ‘Congratulations on your new position,’ and I said, ‘What are you talking about?’ They had heard that I was in Nicaragua, and they didn’t know if I was coming back or not,” Lindsey said. However, she did come to Pine View, and now it has been three years since she has been working here.
Lindsey said she appreciates many aspects of Pine View and loves collaborating with the other counselors and the guidance department altogether. “I love this team. At other schools, you don’t have as many counselors to consult with, so it’s really nice to have Ms. McManus, Ms. Sandburg and Mrs. Halcomb. I feel cohesiveness here with the other counselors and how you are really able to share your concerns and your thoughts. I can’t leave out Mr. Bergman either,” Lindsey said. “I have got to say that our administrative assistants in guidance are so helpful. I don’t know how I would be able to do this without them.”
Another part of Pine View Lindsey truly cherishes is working with students. “This past year, the teachers were really kind in letting me have their classroom time, so I could do lessons with the students. That’s why I wanted to be a counselor in the first place, and those are the times that I really remember,” she said.
Assistant Principal Brian Dorn said, “Ms. Lindsey is a phenomenal person. She cares so much about the kids here and does everything to ensure that they’re happy.”
When asked how she felt about Lindsey leaving, high school guidance counselor Lynn Halcomb said, “Well, it is mixed because I am excited for her because she has a passion for what she does with her mission work, but also I think it’s always hard when you lose somebody that has always worked so well.”
Now, Lindsey will focus on staying in Nicaragua and working on Waves of Love. Even though she visits Nicaragua twice a year, this time she will live there for a year due to her last child graduating high school. While there, Lindsey and her husband plan on continuing to construct houses, collaborate with the churches, fundraise for families and work on many more projects. “The mission is to offer hope. That’s very simple. It’s hope and just to work aside and build relationships,” she said.
Learn more about her organization “Waves of Love” here.