The summer chaos at the Psota household was a symphony of water gun fights and delighted shrieks, a familiar, joyful noise for Jess Psota. With three little ones at home, the pace was always “a little busy,” but Jess loved summer, even if it meant a different kind of constant movement. This particular summer, however, held a new kind of anticipation. Jess, a long-time fixture at Pius X Catholic High School, was stepping into a new role: Director of Counseling.
LISTEN: Hear Jess Psota’s interview on the We Are Pius podcast | All Podcasts
Her journey to this office wasn’t a straight line, as she’d readily admit. Growing up in Columbus, Nebraska, Jess initially envisioned a career in nursing. “I wanted a job that was really reliable, that I got to help people, that was going to feel different every day,” she recalled, but the thought of needles quickly changed her trajectory. Education beckoned, and a last-minute student teaching assignment at Pius X—a school she hadn’t considered, having attended public school her whole life—proved to be a divine intervention. God’s plan, she mused, had put her exactly where she needed to be, under the wing of a beloved teacher, Jen Sander.
Pius X became home. She taught English, met her husband there, and nearly two decades later, she was still walking its familiar halls. Yet, the demands of teaching, especially with a growing family and a husband deeply involved in coaching, began to pull at her. Jess loved the deep conversations English teaching fostered—the “why people react the way that they do, and what struggles of other people can show us.” It was these insights that led her to the door of Jan Frazier, a legendary figure in the counseling office.
“What would you think about me being a counselor?” Jess remembered asking, almost tentatively. Jan Frazier’s immediate, confident reply, “I think you would be great,” resonated so deeply that Jess enrolled in her master’s program that very day. It was a testament to the power of mentorship, those small moments that influence lives profoundly.
Now, Jess was taking the torch from two impressive women, Jan Frazier and the recently retired Shelly Peck. The transition with Shelly had been a blessing, filled with conversations that ensured continuity and upheld the office’s core philosophy. With two new counselors joining the team, Pius X’s counseling office was undergoing a significant, yet hopeful, transformation.
Jess envisioned an office rooted in empathy and active listening. Her goal was to “just walk with them,” like the footprints in the sand, picking students up when they couldn’t walk on their own. It wasn’t about a to-do list or quick advice, but about “trying really hard to reveal hope.” For kids grappling with depression or suicidal ideation, hope was “incredibly powerful and important.”
She observed a prevalent trend among high schoolers: a harsh self-criticism fueled by comparison and a relentless push to “get to the next thing.” Jess urged parents and students alike to prioritize slowing down, creating intentional quiet spaces, and focusing on effort and progress rather than unattainable goals. Her core message echoed Matthew 6: that true worth lies in God’s love, not in accomplishments or comparisons. She worried about the impulsivity fostered by social media, where a fleeting decision could become permanent, but also recognized its potential for good, connecting students to positive communities and faith-filled content.
Building trust, Jess knew, was paramount. Transparency was key, especially regarding “informed consent” and mandatory reporting. Her approach was deeply personal: face-to-face communication, being present in the hallways, attending student activities, and meeting them “where they’re at.”
Among the exciting new initiatives, Jess was particularly enthusiastic about “Link Crew,” a national program coordinated with campus minister Scotty Sullivan and librarian Aaron Willis. This program would train juniors and seniors to mentor the entire freshman class, fostering community and leadership. She envisioned new students feeling immediately plugged into the “Pius family,” regardless of their previous schooling.
If she could tell freshmen one thing, it would be to “be open to finding and understanding God’s purpose for you.” She stressed the importance of sitting in silence to hear God’s voice, to be open to new experiences and people, and to release preconceived notions of what high school should be. “When that gets blown up… that’s hard for them to reconcile,” she noted, reflecting on her own winding path.
In a “lightning round” of quick questions, Jess revealed her search for a patron saint, recently finding connection with Saint Gianna, admiring her balance of vocation and family life. Her favorite Bible verse, Ephesians 2:10—”For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us”—mirrored her philosophy of surrendering to God’s purpose. She prayed for peace in the country and for the new counselors joining her office. Her heroes were her parents and her brave older sister, who embodied joyful resilience. And one thing she wanted the Thunderbolt community to know? She was a “huge Duke basketball fan.”
But the best part of being a Thunderbolt, for Jess, was deeply personal. Pius X had been her home since she was 22. Her kids ran around its campus, she’d met her husband there, and her closest friends had been forged within its community. Even when some friends had moved on, Jess remained. “This is just really where God has called my husband and I both to be,” she said, her voice filled with gratitude. “I’m a much better Catholic, I’m a much better Christian mom, wife, all of those things. I’m just very, very lucky to be here.”
As Jeremy Ekeler concluded their conversation, reflecting on themes of hope, abandonment, and the passing of the torch, it was clear that Jess Psota, with her unwavering faith and compassionate vision, was exactly where she was meant to be, ready to guide the students of Pius X with hope as their compass.
