Rob Lundien

Counselor Park Hill High School (Kansas City, Mo.)

Band has always been a huge part of Rob Lundien’s life. Since fifth grade when he started playing trumpet, he fell in love with the art of making music.

So when it was time to figure out what to do for a career, it seemed logical to combine his love of music, performing and teaching and become a band teacher.

His first step toward pursuing that career was applying to become part of the outstanding music program at Missouri Southern. But to be accepted into the program, he would have to switch from trumpet to baritone – also known as the euphonium – for which he would have to learn to read music differently.

“I had some great teachers at Missouri Southern, both in music and education,” Lundien said. “One of the strongest lessons I learned was how to be professional in the everyday world. I learned how to take over a program from someone else and how to follow in footsteps and things to do or not do in those situations. I learned how to treat others with respect, and how to be prepared for the adult world and the professional world. These were all valuable lessons I got from the music department.”

During his time with the MSSU band, Lundien had many memorable experiences – from playing in the pep band for winning basketball and football teams, to playing for Pres. George W. Bush when he visited campus. And since graduating from MSSU, he has been invited back to judge the homecoming parade multiple times.

Following his time at Southern, Lundien became the band director at Diamond High School. It was a program that hadn’t been well developed, and Lundien remembers letting his students borrow some of his own instruments just so they could participate. It was during his time as a band teacher that he first started to become interested in counseling.

“As a band teacher you get to work with a lot of kids for many years in a row and so you get to know their families real well,” he said. “You learn what kids struggle with what issues and the challenges in their lives or in their academics. I have always loved helping kids find what their passions are and what their strengths are, and turn those positive aspects into something they can use the rest of their lives. All of those things – social, emotional, and helping kids get through school – I saw every day as a teacher, but I decided I wanted to be able to help kids on a deeper level.”

It wasn’t long after that Lundien moved into high school counseling. After eight years as a band teacher in Diamond, he moved to Kansas City to help open a brand new school in the Northern Kansas City School District. His work there was honored by the Greater Kansas City School Counselor Association and he was later selected as the Missouri Secondary School Counselor of the Year. He attended a ceremony at the White House along with five other finalists for the national 2016 School Counselor of the Year award.

He was recently presented with an opportunity to lead the counseling department at Park Hill High School. The department consists of six counselors, one social worker, two registrars and two administrative assistants.

“I’m honored to get to do this professionally, and I’m honored that Missouri Southern has asked me to be on the advisory committee for the Education Department,” said Lundien. “I’m one of their own – they grew me to be an educator – and now they’re asking me to fill that role and be an advisor. That means a lot to me to ask me to do that.”