Julie Kost is the school psychologist at Bismarck High School, bringing positivity and help to each student. Kost began making an impact on BHS four years ago, after working for Legacy High School for about 7 years.

Kost has been a school psychologist for twenty-two years and has worked in over thirty schools. After enjoying the psychology classes in high school, she knew that this was what she wanted to do. She studied at The University of North Dakota and majored in education and psychology, and went to graduate school at Minot State for school psychology. 

When she is not working hard in school, she enjoys spending time with her four kids and following along with all of their activities. Kost enjoys being outside whether that be for gardening, boating, or golfing. She loves traveling and being adventurous and enjoys the opportunity to go anywhere she wants. 

“I value everyone I work with, they’re very supportive. And it’s just a great culture and a great team,” Kost said. 

The daily schedule of a school psychologist is not set in stone. Kost’s schedule changes from day to day with meetings beginning at 7:30 am.

“I like that every day is new, it’s not monotonous by any means. it never gets old or Boring, that’s for sure,” Kost said. 

BHS is a school full of teachers that are student focussed and want their students to succeed. Kost believes that this school is very intentional and caring when it comes to building relationships with students. To meet with Mrs. Kost, students can email, stop by student services and request a meeting, or simply stop by. 

“I know it may look different for each kid, but my main goal is to see all students, no matter what barriers they may have, succeed,” Kost said. “I feel like we’re all working hard for a common goal for students, it’s very motivating to be part of a team that cares about kids.”

Developing a support plan for students and seeing them successfully make progress is one of the many rewarding qualities of being a school psychologist. A challenging trait of this career is the increase in mental health concerns in students. At times, it can be difficult to find where to go next when supporting a student. 

“There are a lot of people in this building here to support students, they’re not alone,” Kost said. “Every day is a new day, we’re all here to help.”