Counseling Experience
In addition to creating and directing the school counseling program at District of Columbia International School I have advised, mentored, educated and counseled high school students in a variety of full time positions such as Graduation Coach, Program Director of Sunset Academy, and Intensive Reading Teacher.
College Counseling
To date I have helped over 300 seniors on their journey towards post-secondary enrollment. I am a firm believer that there are multiple pathways to success in today's society and that it is my role as a counselor to help student discover their own passion and interests and then guide them in exploring all their post-secondary options.
One of the best programs to help students connect their interests to careers and post-secondary pathways is Choices360. All 8th grade students at DCI complete lessons on this program that culminate in a tentative 10 year plan.
One of the best programs to help students connect their interests to careers and post-secondary pathways is Choices360. All 8th grade students at DCI complete lessons on this program that culminate in a tentative 10 year plan.
I am very familiar with the details of the college application process such as filling out the Common Application and FAFSA, writing recommendations, editing college essays and analyzing award letters. I learned the finer points of many of these processes through my internship at Bottom Line, a national college access and success program for first generation college students.
During my time as graduation coach and my counseling internship 100% of seniors on my caseload were accepted to college and over $2 million in scholarships were awarded. Seniors were accepted into a variety of schools including Brandeis University, Boston College, Florida State University, Salem State University and University of Delaware.
During my time as graduation coach and my counseling internship 100% of seniors on my caseload were accepted to college and over $2 million in scholarships were awarded. Seniors were accepted into a variety of schools including Brandeis University, Boston College, Florida State University, Salem State University and University of Delaware.
Additionally, because there is no substitute for actually experiencing campus life I have arranged many college visits for various grade levels.
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Individual Counseling
My counseling experience has consisted mainly of individual counseling one-on-one with students. While a wide range of issues are presented, many of the conversations lead back to the student's academic goals and post secondary planning.
Implementing a school counseling program with a college and career planning focus is a passion of mine, as I see on a daily basis how many students have questions and inaccurate perceptions of the post-high school experience. I utilize online tools, interactive workshops, college visits and speaker presentations to assist with student engagement in the college planning process.
Implementing a school counseling program with a college and career planning focus is a passion of mine, as I see on a daily basis how many students have questions and inaccurate perceptions of the post-high school experience. I utilize online tools, interactive workshops, college visits and speaker presentations to assist with student engagement in the college planning process.
Theories I have used in individual counseling include:
-Solution Focused Brief Counseling -Cognitive Behavioral Therapy -Motivational Interviewing -Hope Theory -Engagement Theory |
Topics on which I have counseled or advised individual students:
-Academics -Graduation -College Planning -Career Planning -Testing Anxiety -Interviewing -Healthy Relationships -Family Discord -Self-esteem -Homelessness -Involvement with the Juvenile Justice System -Depression -Drug Abuse -Gang Involvement -Anger Management -Suicide Assessment |
Below are some artifacts that demonstrate my individual counseling skills.
To assist students in college planning I created an easy to use graphic organizer for college applications.
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Below is an academic advising template I have compiled that can be used by high school and middle school counselors.
*Modified from AVID concepts. |
I have provided samples of my counseling notes for both client intake and creation of treatment goals.
*Student name and any identifying information has been changed to protect confidentiality. |
Developmental Guidance
During my time as Graduation Coach I discovered that many of my students were confused or misinformed about their post-secondary options. As such, I created and implemented lessons on graduation requirements and college planning. Please click the button labeled "Graduation & Beyond PPT" to view the PowerPoint.
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Additionally, as Program Director of an alternative school-within-a-school I made sure that my students received developmental guidance on topics such as goal setting, career exploration and resume building. Please click "Academy Lesson" to view a sample Career Exploration lesson plan.
Currently, I am involved in preparing and presenting lessons in both Senior Advisory and Freshman Academy classes at Snowden. Students meet daily in these classes and I present lessons on college and career planning, academic success skills, and self-exploration. Click "Senior Advisory" buttons to see samples of work covered in this course.
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Many of the lessons I teach in the Freshman Transition Academy are from AVID or the Career Choices Series by Academic Innovations because this curriculum meets 90% of the Standards for a Freshman Transition Course. Click on "Career Exploration" to view a PowerPoint session I developed to help students learn about possible careers. To increase student interest and motivation in Freshman Academy I administered an interest inventory and prepared critical thinking lessons on topics of interests, click below to see examples.
Due to the rigor of the International Baccalaureate Diploma program a lot of students enrolled in IB struggle with stress management. As a preventative measure the guidance department delivered a four hour workshop on stress management covering techniques such as meditation, focusing on the positive, deep breathing, thematic imagery, body scans, exercise and healthy eating.
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After working with seniors on the college advising process and reviewing student data I identified a key area for student improvement, SAT performance. To help rising Seniors improve their scores I delivered a workshop to all Juniors on how to utilize College Board's "My College Quick Start" tool to create a personalized SAT study plan based on their PSAT results. This program also provides students with career and college exploration tools.
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Group Counseling
I have conducted group counseling on topics such as women empowerment, relational aggression, stress management and academic success.
Click the buttons below to see descriptions of past groups.
Click the buttons below to see descriptions of past groups.