As the 2017-2018 school year begins, Ludlow High School said goodbye to Jennifer Scibelli who moved on last year, and welcomed David Babine who took over as the guidance counselor for the sophomore class.

Babine received a degree in Advanced School Counseling at American International College in Springfield, Mass.  and has experience counseling with the Monson public schools and Lunenburg High School.

After graduating college he entered the workforce with the mortgage industry, and then turned to education after four years.

At his previous counseling job, Babine commuted 55 minutes to work and back. Now he only travels 12 minutes to Ludlow. But that’s not  the only reason he made the switch. “Ludlow is a great community that offers a lot of opportunities for its citizens,” he said.

As a guidance counselor, Babine holds many crucial responsibilities: preparing students for career and college readiness, helping create adequate schedules, and guiding students. He has “an open-door policy” and asserts his enthusiasm for helping students with academic advice as well as life guidance. The Guidance Department assists students in developing skills crucial to their futures and ensures a positive learning environment.

When outside of the office, Babine can be found on the golf course or football field. He brings his passion for football to Ludlow’s team as an assistant coach.

After Babine introduced himself to the Class of 2020 at an assembly on the first day of school, Sophomore Amelia Valadas noticed how he seemed “really nice and passionate.” Valadas hasn’t met with Babine yet to discuss her academic career or college possibilities, but she is ready to meet with him soon.

Babine hopes to embark on a long term career at LHS. “I couldn’t be more excited for a future in helping students achieve their goals,” he said.