ALEXANDRIA, VA – The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) is pleased to announce the five finalists for the 2025 School Counselor of the Year awards program (#SCOY25). The program honors exemplary school counseling professionals who devote their careers to serving as advocates for the nation’s students, helping them achieve success in school and in life.
The five finalists are:
Lisa Delgadillo, Hibbard Elementary School, Chicago, Ill.
Hanna Kemble-Mick, Indian Hills Elementary School, Topeka, Kan.
Carmen Larson, Ph.D., Sarasota Middle School, Sarasota, Fla.
Stephanie Nelson, Ph.D., ACSC, Garner Magnet High School, Garner, N.C.
Rosa I. Rodriguez, Chester E. Jordan Elementary School, El Paso, Texas
ASCA will announce the 2025 School Counselor of the Year in late fall. Nominations for the School Counselor of the Year awards program were submitted by ASCA-affiliated state/territory school counselor associations.
The School Counselor of the Year Selection Committee includes principals, school counselors and representatives from education-related organizations. 2025 selection committee members included representatives from Advance CTE; Beville Middle School, Woodbridge, Va.; The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Daleville High School, Daleville, Ala.; The College Board; Reach Higher; The National Association of Elementary School Principals; Prince William County (Va.) Public Schools; St. Theresa Catholic School, Ashburn, Va.; Strategic Questions Consulting; and Watson Mountain Middle School, Leesburg, Va. The panel selected the finalists based on several criteria, including school counseling innovations, exemplary school counseling programs, leadership and advocacy skills, and contributions to student outcomes.
“ASCA’s School Counselor of the Year program shines a valuable spotlight on the school counseling profession, bringing attention to exceptional school counselors who are supporting K–12 students every day,” said Jill Cook, CAE, ASCA executive director. “School counselors are vital to students’ academic achievement, social/emotional development and plans for life after graduation. The 2025 finalists have demonstrated their commitment to the values and mission of the profession to help all students succeed.”
An in-person celebration is planned in Washington, D.C., Jan. 30, 2025. The School Counselor of the Year and finalists will be celebrated in a series of virtual events during National School Counseling Week, Feb. 3-7, 2025.
About the American School Counselor Association
The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) is a nonprofit professional organization based in Alexandria, Va. ASCA promotes student success by expanding the image and influence of school counseling through leadership, advocacy, collaboration and systemic change. ASCA helps school counselors guide their students toward academic achievement, career planning and social/emotional development to help today’s students become tomorrow’s productive, contributing members of society. Founded in 1952, ASCA has a network of 52 state and territory associations and a membership of approximately 43,000 school counseling professionals. For additional information on the American School Counselor Association, visit schoolcounselor.org.