Orlando School Counselor Linda Martin, is among five finalists for the 2014 School Counselor of the Year awards program of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). The award honors the professionals who devote their careers to serving as advocates – and often lifesavers – for the nation’s students.
Martin, who has led the Comprehensive Guidance Program at Palm Lake Elementary School for 20 years where she works daily with students in classroom guidance lessons on a variety of topics, including character development and leadership, joins four other finalists. They are:
- Melissa Beverly, Cactus Shadows High School, Scottsdale, AZ
- Monica Dominguez, Dr. Sue Shook Elementary School, El Paso, TX
- Robin Zorn, Dr. M.H. Mason Jr. Elementary School, Duluth, GA
- Timothy Conway, Lakeland Regional High School, Wanaque, NJ
From these five finalists, one will be named the 2014 School Counselor of the Year.
Nominations for the School Counselor of the Year awards program were submitted by the state school counselor associations. The panel selected the finalists based on several criteria including school counseling innovations, effective school counseling programs, leadership and advocacy skills, and contributions to student advancement.
“School counselors make significant contributions to the overall well-?being of students and their success,” said Richard Wong, Ed.D., executive director, American School Counselor Association. “They have unique qualifications and skills that allow them to address students’ academic achievement, personal/social and career development needs.”
Martin is the founder of Kids Who Care, a student service-?learning group that serves in the school, the Orlando community, and the world. Her students support projects including school beautification, visiting nursing home residents, helping families in need, and supporting Nkomo Primary School, a sister school in South Africa.
To further support Nkomo Primary School, Martin, together with Palm Lake teachers and parents, two students, and Orlando community members, traveled to South Africa to teach, assist in beautification of the school, and provide needed supplies and uniforms.
Martin’s program of incorporating service with leadership skills has inspired Palm Lake’s third, fourth, and fifth graders to become Leaders in Action, which will benefit them as they prepare for college and career readiness.
The finalists, their principals, and a representative from their state school counselor associations will be flown to Washington, D.C., in January 2014 for three days of celebratory events. The honorees will have meetings with their members of Congress, attend a congressional briefing, and be formally recognized at a black-?tie gala.
