By Isabella Rodriguez ‘24
Sometimes, inspiration doesn’t come from a profound quote or a notable experience. It comes from finally connecting the dots between all the small things that have happened in your life: the people you’ve interacted with, the things that you’ve read, or the feeling you get from being a part of something you truly believe in.
“I try to see the good in every person and show them what that is,” Mr. Bob Capolupo expressed. “Not just my kids, anyone I interact with. It’s just my nature. I think so many people go through so many hard things in their life, and I want to fill those gaps for them. That’s really why I became a counselor.”
For Mr. Bob Capolupo, known as “Mr. Cap” by his students, the moment of clarity came during a meal on a typical weekday evening. “I was literally at a Burger King having like a whopper, and something kind of dawned on me. It was one of those moments in your life where it’s like, what am I doing with my life?”
After graduating from West Chester University, Mr. Cap was not on the path to becoming a counselor. He worked desk jobs in various industries, noting that he never quite felt connected to the work he was doing. So, from sitting in a bright red booth, 20 years after college, he had a moment of true reflection.
“And it was kind of a God moment for me,” said Mr. Cap. “I really felt like the spirit was talking to ‘ya. I felt like I was getting some kind of message that you have to help people like, ‘This is your calling, you know, you have this ability.’”
As he knew that he wanted to help others, Mr. Cap was guided into walking down the path being supported by many.
“I was very blessed. I always had a great support system, great family, great friends,” said Mr. Cap. “And when I was going through different things in my life, I always felt like I was so blessed. But I knew that there were a lot of people out there that didn’t have the same support, in the scene, people around them that could get them through their lowest times.”
Seeing that others haven’t been as lucky as he had been, his experience and strong connections with people and his community brought him to the realization that he should use his unique ability to understand and support people in their hardest times. He decided that the public high school setting was the perfect place to apply these talents, since many of the students are struggling to define themselves and need a strong role model to do this positively.
“I felt like I had a calling to bridge that gap for people,” said Mr. Cap. “So for people that didn’t have that kind of love in their life, that I could be the one that could get them over the hump, that could get them to see what they really could be, and that really made me decide to do it.”
“I want them to be the best version of who they are and any role that I can play, to help them be that person that they love themselves, and that they are confident in who they are,” Mr. Cap expressed.
After going back to school for his Master’s and Counseling Certification, Mr. Cap got his first counseling job at Conestoga Valley Senior High School. Unbeknownst to him, the first day of school usually isn’t about counseling students about their futures: It’s about changing schedules.
“I had to change everybody’s schedule and I didn’t know exactly what to do,” said Mr. Cap. “It was crazy, and I realized, you know, pretty quickly, that I had a lot of students, and a lot of people that I felt responsible for. ”
Mr. Cap may have not always understood exactly where his path guided, but he truly embraced his feelings of love from his community.
“I just want to bring you happiness,” said Mr. Cap. “Everybody, I see all the time. I don’t think I’m much different outside of work from work. I just want to make people smile.”
He maintains strong relationships with his family members, sharing his ability to connect with those closest to him, and finding fulfillment through spending time with them as well.
“I have an amazing wife that I’ve been married to for 25 years this year. She is my world,” said Mr. Cap. “My daughter who’s in college, luckily it’s only an hour away, so we get to see each other quite a bit. And she’s my world too. I also have an older brother, who I’m very close with and he lives in Valley Forge.”
It’s not every day that you can sit across from someone so kind and genuine as him. His motivation has always been consistent between what he pursues in his personal life and professional life: to truly make a difference in the lives of everyone he comes in contact with.
He realized that his most significant personal truth was this: “I have to dedicate my life to helping other people.”
Doing what is authentic to you could already be inside you, but you may be just waiting for a sign as to how to put it into practice. It is refreshing to know that there are people in the world like Mr. Cap who are truly interested in helping you figure out what your practice should be.