EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A counselor from Chester E. Jordan Elementary has been named the Lone Star State School Counselor Association (LSSSCA) 2024 Texas School Counselor of the Year, according to Socorro ISD.
Rosie Rodriguez won the LSSSCA School Counselor of the Year and will now represent Texas at the national level in the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) counselor of the year program, according to the news release by Socorro Independent School District (SISD).
“This is a huge surprise. I wanted to be a representative for school counselors all over Texas, but just to know that I can be that voice, and I hope to be a proud voice for them, I’m just overjoyed,” Rodriguez said.
According to SISD, the LSSSCA honors professional school counselors in Texas who advocate for Texas students and ensure student success.
Rodriguez was selected as Texas’ top winner from five finalists based on several criteria including school counseling innovations, effective school counseling programs, leadership and advocacy skills, and contributions to student advancement, according to SISD.
Rosie Rodriguez winning LSSSCA School Counselor of the Year. Photos courtesy of Socorro Independent School District.
“This is my 11th year of being a school counselor. You learn as you go, and I think the biggest thing for me is having incredible guidance from our district, being partnered up with mentors and just learning and grasping and just taking as much in as possible because the ones that are going to benefit are our little ones in every campus. So, sharing those ideas, making sure that we collaborate because we can’t do it all by ourselves, having those mentors and that guidance has truly made the biggest, biggest difference,” said Rodriguez.
Two other SISD counselors were also recognized by the LSSSCA counseling award program: Angie Lopez, a counselor at Jane A. Hambric School; and Patsy Carrillo, a counselor at Sgt. Jose F. Carrasco Elementary School.
“We are so proud of Ms. Rodriguez, Ms. Lopez, and Ms. Carrillo for their dedication, passion and commitment to their students and community. We can’t wait for them to be honored at the LSSSCA conference in November and then cheer on Ms. Rodriguez as she rises to greatness at the national level with ASCA. We appreciate everything that these three counselors and all of our counselors do for students,” said SISD Director of School Counseling Tammi Mackeben.
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