Maryland School Counselor Association Names 2018 Maryland School Counselor of the Year
For Immediate Release, December 18, 2017
GREENBELT, Md. – The Maryland School Counselor Association (MSCA) has identified the 2018 Maryland School Counselor of the Year as Cathleen Kazio, of Frederick County’s Crestwood Middle School. There were 38 nominations submitted for this annual program, recognizing professional school counselors for their innovative and data-oriented programs that serve all students’ academic, career, and social-emotional developmental needs. Judges representing Maryland’s elementary and secondary school administrators, superintendents, teachers, parents, and school counselors, carefully reviewed the submissions and identified three level-specific school counselor of the year finalists: HS-Dr. Steven.
Having been nominated by her county school counseling association, Cathleen Kazio was also recognized by MSCA School Counselor of the Year committee reviewers as creating and implementing an exemplary comprehensive school counseling program at her school. She uses data to inform her practice, she advocates for the needs of all students, she continuously and she proactively works to improve equity in her school. Ms. Kazio wrote and was awarded a $10,000 grant to provide students with opportunities to learn about college and vocational program. She formed a small counseling group for students who may be first generation in their family to attend college. She meets with them regularly and provides them with opportunities to learn and grow in preparation for college and career readiness. She is a notably active and visible resource for parents during the day and at evening events, she supports her entire staff, and she works to improve the social-emotional outcomes of her students. In addition, Ms. Kazio serves as the treasurer for her local counselor association. As a department chairperson, she impressed the committee by showing how school counselors are educational leaders.
From Howard County, Glenelg High School’s school counseling team leader Dr. Steven Burnett is known for running a school counseling program that is consistent, strong, and infused with technology. Additionally, he has led the joint collaboration discussion between counselors and central office about the role of the school counselor and alignment with the school counselor evaluation. His principal, Kami Wagner, noted that other school leaders “look to Steve for his input and guidance.”
Montgomery County’s Glen Haven Elementary School Counselor Rebecca Willis is the leader of her school’s Positive Behavior Intervention System, and has helped her school earn the State of Maryland PBIS Silver Award due to her leadership and thorough data collection system. Her classroom counseling lessons are always age-appropriate and taught with a growth mindset focus. She often ties what she is teaching into real world practice so that student can see the relevance in their own lives and their community. .
The Maryland School Counselor Association will formally honor these professionals at its National School Counseling Week gala on February 9 at Martin’s Crosswinds in Greenbelt. At this event, the association will also recognize MSCA Advocate of the Year Janet Shipman (Coordinator of School Counseling and Student Support, Frederick County), Principal of the Year John Schrecongost (Kent Island High School, Queen Anne's County), Educator of the Year Dr. Laura Jones (Hood College, Frederick County), Graduate Student of the Year Taylor Nelson (Johns Hopkins University), and the MSCA Scholarship recipients, Benjamin Garonzik (Pikesville HS, Baltimore County) and Kiana Jackson (Frederick HS, Frederick County.) Registration is open until January 31 at
The Maryland School Counselor Association is a professional association that provides opportunities for professional development, networking, and advocacy for the state’s public and private school counselors, as well as school counseling graduate students and counselor educators. School counselors plan and implement a needs-oriented, data-driven comprehensive program using foundation, management, delivery, and accountability components that support all students’ academic, career, and social-emotional development. The Maryland School Counselor of the Year will be nominated for the national School Counselor of the Year, managed by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). National School Counseling Week, February 5-9, 2018, is an annual event to recognize and celebrate the efforts and value of school counselors and the work that school counselors do to support all students.
For more information, please contact Dr. Laura Jones at .