SYLACAUGA, Ala. – This week schools throughout Alabama are focusing on the work of school counselors and their contributions to help with student achievement. Sylacauga City Schools is fortunate to have a counselor at every school, with the high school having two counselors for the added responsibilities of assisting students with the college admissions process. At every level, these counselors help students remove barriers to learning by addressing academic concerns and social/emotional development.
LaKeisha Crocker is the counselor at Indian Valley Elementary and earned her master’s in this field from the University of West Alabama. Crocker attended the University of Alabama where she earned a bachelor’s in vocal music education and has been a Fine Arts educator at SCS for many years.
At Pinecrest Elementary, Kate Barton has transitioned from the position of Title I reading interventionist to school counselor. She holds a bachelor’s in elementary education from the University of Alabama and master’s in school counseling from the University of West Alabama.
DeAsia McNeal has been the school counselor at Nichols-Lawson Middle School for four years. She earned a bachelor’s in psychology and master’s in school counseling from the University of Alabama Birmingham. McNeal said she loves helping students and their parents navigate through the special middle school years.
The two counselors at Sylacauga High are Kathryn Garrett and Ericka Barron. Garret has an undergraduate degree in psychology from Huntingdon College, and earned her master’s in school counseling from the University of South Alabama. She is a national board certified counselor. Barron earned a degree in health information management from UAB, a master’s in collaborative education 6-12 from Alabama State University, and a second master’s in school counseling from the University of West Alabama.
“School counselors play a vital role in the success of students,” said Dr. Jennifer Rosato, Executive Director of Teaching and Learning at Sylacauga. “They are resourceful in helping to meet student needs, whether academically, physically, or emotionally, and they work in partnership with parents to sustain that support. As students advance into high school, the school counselors become an integral part of the college and career application process to help students realize their dreams.
“Our school counselors invest themselves in every student in the school, and we are so fortunate in Sylacauga to have these five talented and caring professionals looking out for the best interests of our future leaders,” Rosato concluded.
