As the end of high school approaches, so does the retirement of a beloved RCHS staff member.

After eighteen years at the Rock, Janet Rakestraw will retire as a guidance counselor, but she still plans to continue working with young people as a Christian counselor.

Mrs. Rakestraw has traveled many places in her lifetime, and after retiring she plans to increase her travels. Her foremost destination is Maine. She has been to places such as Brazil, Mexico, Switzerland, Germany, Italy and France. She also plans to work more in her garden, learn to paint with watercolors, and make pottery.

Mrs. Rakestraw’s favorite part of being a guidance counselor is working with the young people. “I’ll miss the people, the energy, and the dynamics of high school, but I won’t miss the testing,” she said.

Being here eighteen years, Mrs. Rakestraw has had many memorable moments, the kind a person never forgets. “The sixteenth annual Prom Promise breakfast was great. We had nearly 300 people attending,” she said.

As a high school guidance counselor, Mrs. Rakestraw has experienced many proud moments, such as when a student passes a test or gets accepted into their favorite college. Nothing pleases a counselor more than to see the faces of those students that achieve their dreams. “I’ll never forget the excitement on a young man’s face after passing the competency test and being able to graduate,” she said with a smile.

Through her years, Mrs. Rakestraw has contributed in countless ways to RCHS. A few things she has helped out with are Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), Prom Promise breakfast, the leadership team and Student Services Management Team (SSMT).

Not a shred of doubt is in anyone’s mind that she will be missed. From students all the way to administrators, Mrs. Rakestraw has been a great asset to those of RCHS.