Farbo provided passion, direction

Posted on: Jul 18, 2019

For 27 years, Susan Farbo was a guiding voice for Delano High School students through the full gamut of experiences, from the soccer field and prom preparations to class scheduling and college applications.

The counselor with a non-traditional background specialized in helping students consider their aspirations beyond high school, then creating a roadmap to help them get there.

Farbo retired this summer, which gave her co-workers a chance to reflect on the many attributes she brought to the job. DHS Assistant Principal Steve Schauberger called Farbo a consummate professional who struck the perfect balance between relationship-building and task accomplishment. 

“She challenges students, staff and families to see the big picture and then collaboratively works with them to craft a plan to fill in all the details,” Schauberger said. “Her work ethic is second to none. She clearly demonstrates that dedication and integrity as a counselor, teacher, coach, advisor, mentor and colleague each and every day.”

Administrative Assistant Dolly Hedtke said Farbo “cared about all the DHS students and wanted them to strive for their highest potential.” In addition to ensuring students had special experiences at events like prom, Farbo emphasized academic rigor and accountability in class scheduling.

“She was dedicated to making sure students were ready for life after graduation … making sure DHS prepares students for whichever path they choose after high school: work, military vocational programs, college, etc.,” said Hedtke. 

Dr. Steve Heil, DHS Principal, said Farbo was “devoted to the success of students not only during their high school years, but also as they transitioned to college, career and life.” He noted that Farbo coordinated dances, coached and served as a referee in addition to her counseling work, which she performed at the highest of levels. She even served as the president of the National College Fair, which helped connect students to colleges of their choice.

“She challenged students to think out of the box and look at themselves as successful people who can accomplish anything with hard work and determination,” Heil said. “She worked very hard at being her best daily for students and will be deeply missed by students, staff and families.”

Varied career
Farbo’s route to the DHS counseling job was an unconventional one. She originally earned a degree in architecture and design, then taught in the architectural drafting department at North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton.

When she was laid off from that position, she went back to school and earned an education degree in industrial arts with an emphasis in construction. While on that track her advisor suggested she check out the school counseling program since there was currently a shortage of counselors, and she thought it sounded interesting enough to pursue. In addition to her education degree she also earned her master’s degree in counseling.

After a year in Montana she returned to Minnesota for a split position between the Silver Lake and Lester Prairie school districts, where she spent three years.

Two years followed at Hopkins High School before Farbo was looking for work again. Her sister, an educator in Redwood Valley, had a suggestion.

“She said, ‘Delano is a really great school district,’” Farbo remembered. Farbo applied and found her permanent professional home.

“I liked the community and the relationships I had with teachers,” Farbo said. “I worked with Ted May, Elaine Farniok, and Gloria Tschudi. It was just a small cohort of people and we really took care of each other. And Dr. Tool was a phenomenal superintendent. I really respected him. He was like a parent to me, and it just felt right to stay.”

Digging in
It didn’t take long for Farbo to make her mark in Delano. She started the student blood drive and the powderpuff football game. She became the Student Council advisor, organized dances, coached soccer and sprinters, coordinated foreign exchange students and taught summer school for seventh- and eighth-graders.

She also invested herself in state and national professional associations, serving on the National Association of College Admissions Counselors for 20 years in addition to her term as president.

“You develop a really solid relationship of connections, and that was really a ticket to help students get into colleges, knowing the journey and how to get in the door, because it is a process,” said Farbo. “It’s really rewarding to help students improve the aspects necessary to get where they want to go, and see them succeed.”

Favorite aspects of the job
Farbo said one of the best aspects of counseling work was helping juniors and seniors prepare for the next stage of life.

“My favorite thing was guiding a student with their senior schedule and helping them stay connected with a passion and a direction, because seniors sometimes think, ‘I’m almost done. I don’t want to make it too hard.’ But you have to help them understand that their junior and senior year are just an entrance to life beyond high school,” Farbo said.

That meant students didn’t often get to take the easy road when it came to scheduling classes. Farbo remembered several cases where she encouraged students to try upper-level courses, or avoid dropping difficult classes, because ultimately the adversity was a learning opportunity.

“There was a junior boy who didn’t want to go outside of his boundaries who I ended up squeaking into a College in the Schools class,” Farbo said. “He ended up getting a B, and he was surrounded by seniors who were movers and shakers and he saw what he could become rather than settling for mediocrity.”

Other students occasionally visited her office in tears over difficult coursework that they felt was beyond them. 

“CIS English isn’t going to kill you, but it might make you cry and that’s OK too,” Farbo said. “That’s what life is about. Life isn’t always easy. At least here we’re a safety net in case you trip.”

It wasn’t all about college preparation, either. Farbo and a few other teachers also participated in a Marine boot camp for educators one summer to better understand what the military had to offer so they could pass that knowledge on to their students.

Retirement plans
Because she often was in the office over the summer months, Farbo is looking forward to some extended time off. She plans to travel overseas to visit her two daughters, who live in Amsterdam, and take in other sights. She may even live in Amsterdam for a few months at a time during the winter.

“Parents complain about how they never see their kids. I see mine twice a year, so I think it’s time that I get to see them more often than that,” she said.

Other destinations on her travel itinerary include Greece, Vietnam, New York City and Las Vegas. She may still referee soccer games and help with prom planning at DHS, but the rest of her time will be open for activities of her own choosing. For someone who has counseled others on future plans as a career, those wide open personal possibilities will be an opportunity to seize.

“It’s a new frontier. I have a whole bucket list of things to do,” Farbo said, adding that her 27 years in Delano passed quickly but won’t be forgotten. 

“In the beginning you’re just trying to make ends meet, and then all of a sudden you’re retiring,” she said. “It just seems unbelievable. The hardest part about leaving here are the connections that you make with kids and teachers who you see every day. You sort of become family.”

Post Categories: High School