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WACO, Texas - Today, Education Service Center (ESC) Region 12 held its annual School Counselor Appreciation luncheon and named two counselors: Allison Cornell from Bell's Hill Elementary in Waco ISD as Region 12 Elementary Counselor of the Year and Beverly Stephens from Bonham Middle School in Temple ISD as Region 12 Secondary Counselor of the Year.
This program recognizes exemplary school counseling programs and elite school counselors in the region.
Allison Cornell, Region 12 Elementary Counselor of the Year, has been a counselor for seven years. As Waco ISD’s lead counselor for the past two years, Cornell strives to support other counselors in the district, in addition to supporting the students and staff at Bell’s Hill Elementary.
“I love being a safe person that students can come to and know that they can be heard and be safe,” said Cornell. "One of the things I love to do is to help students understand what emotions are, that they're good and that we're given emotions for a reason."
Beverly Stephens, Region 12 Secondary Counselor of the Year, has served as a counselor for 19 years. She is a two-time winner of the CREST award from the Texas School Counselors Association. Stephens aligns her counseling program with the ASCA national model and tailors her program to support the needs of the students and support campus and district initiatives.
“My favorite thing about being a counselor is the relationships I get to have with kids,” Stephens said. “When they come to me at a moment of need and they’re upset or they’re crying, I can give them a hug and talk them through an issue and know that, in some way, I made their day a little bit better. That means the world to me.” She is especially proud of her students who become counselors.
“It's exciting for our recipients because school counselors are typically very reserved about their work,” said Jeni Janek, counseling specialist at ESC Region 12. “In recent times and with so many responsibilities upon them in so many varied roles in our schools, we believe it's time that they do have the recognition that they deserve.”
Typically the annual ESC Region 12 Counselor Appreciation Luncheon is held in the summer, but this year it was moved to coincide with National Counselor Appreciation week. ESC Region 12 also recognized retiring counselors, members of theCrisis Response Team and Best Practices Presenters.
About ESC Region 12
Education Service Center Region 12 focuses on helping schools save money and leverage resources into the classroom. One of 20 regional education service centers statewide, ESC Region 12 offers training and expert assistance to educators and school personnel in order to increase student achievement. ESC Region 12 offers effective, economical programs and services through professional development, expert assistance, direct services and alternative educator certification.
Based in Waco, ESC Region 12 serves 76 school districts, 10 charters and private/parochial schools in Bell, Bosque, Coryell, Falls, Freestone, Hamilton, Hill, Lampasas, Limestone, McLennan, Mills and Navarro counties. Everything the center offers focuses on helping educators be successful and helping schools save money and leverage resources—driving more money to students in the classroom—where it matters most.