I initially designed this study to explore the experiences and perceptions of recently credentialed school counselors adjusting to their new professional responsibilities. COVID-19 caused school closures after my data gathering had begun. I followed the original semi-structured interview protocol except I intentionally probed COVID-related topics introduced by participants. Because it also became impossible to recruit participants who met the original criteria of "new" school counselors, I relaxed these criteria to secure eleven participants. The participants described what drew them to the profession, what they most appreciated about their graduate school experiences, how they negotiated the sudden changes, and the joy and satisfaction of serving children's needs. The most vivid outcome is a real-time description of the day-to-day challenges of doing their best under circumstances that one had imagined possible or prepared for. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]