Past New Jersey State School Counselors of the Year
The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) celebrates state representatives for the School Counselor of the Year program.
The School Counselor of the Year program honors the professionals who devote their careers to serving as advocates for the nation’s students, helping them achieve success in school and in life.
Nominations for the School Counselor of the Year awards program are submitted by the state school counselor associations. State representatives were selected based on several criteria, including: school counseling innovations, effective school counseling programs, leadership and advocacy skills and contributions to student advancement.
“School counselors make significant contributions to the overall well‐being of students and their success,” said Jill Cook executive director, American School Counselor Association. “They have unique qualifications and skills that allow them to address students’ academic achievement, career development and social/emotional needs.”
Nancy Reyes, 2022 School Counselor of the Year
2022 - Nancy Reyes
NJSCA is proud to announce Nancy Reyes, NJ School Counselor of the Year. Ms. Reyes has been a school counselor in North Plainfield for 15 years. She has worked at the high school, the intermediate school and currently as the North Plainfield High School College and Career Counselor serving over 1200 students.
“I believe that school counselors are the heart of the school. It was our goal to create a counseling office that not only addressed our student’s academic, social-emotional needs but also served as a true resource center for students and families. These are the ideals that continued into creating our College and Career Resource Room. I am lucky to work with supportive and encouraging people who go along with my new ideas. Truly proud of what the College and Career Room has evolved into, assisting all students in our diverse and changing population,” Nancy Reyes.
Mrs. Reyes developed a college and career room for career exploration, college applications, scholarships/financial aid search, trade/apprenticeship and career readiness. She also established an internship program, Career Mentorship, partnering with community businesses and agencies to offer students the opportunity to explore careers in a professional setting . She also regularly has career professionals visit the school to educate students on career paths. She crafted activities and a curriculum that incorporates career exploration, developing employable skills and making the transition between school and a post secondary path.
“Mrs. Reyes embodies the full spirit of school counseling. She consistently displays a deep commitment to her school community and a relentless focus on providing equitable outcomes for all students. She can often be found in the library after school hours, assisting a student and their family navigating the financial aid process. Ms. Reyes thinks outside the box to assist many of our students who are first generation college students and English Language Learners. She is diligent in creating opportunities that will assist students in achieving their career goals. Mrs. Reyes has organized several large scale college fairs, career fairs, college visits, and parent and student workshops. She has devoted her career to serving as an advocate for the students of North Plainfield, helping them achieve success in school and in life,” Jackie Fields, Director of School Counseling, North Plainfield High School.
Ms. Reyes is a member of the New Jersey School Counselor Association, Somerset County School Counselors Association, and The New Jersey Association of College Admission Counseling.
She began her education career in 2000 as a social studies teacher in New York City. She received her master’s degree from Long Island University and her bachelor’s in History from The City College of New York.
Jillian Shadis, 2021 NJSCA School Counselor of the Year.
2021 - Jillian Shadis
NJSCA is proud to announce this year’s New Jersey School Counselor of the Year is JILLIAN SHADIS, Director of School Counseling and New Providence High School Counselor for the New Providence School District. A school counselor since 2004, Shadis has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in counseling, both from The College of New Jersey.
When Shadis started in the New Providence School District four years ago, she had one mission: to transform their “guidance” department into a true, comprehensive school counseling program. Thanks to her work, the school counseling program is now designed to reach all students in a proactive, preventive manner and support those with specific social/emotional and/or academic needs using a tiered approach. The school counseling department works as a team with other departments, various school and town committees, and students themselves. The culture of a school, district and/or community does not change overnight, but the New Providence School District has come a long way from the guidance department it was four years ago thanks to Shadis’ work.
“Knowing that I, perhaps in some small way, changed a student’s life for the better is one of the most rewarding things about being a school counselor,” Shadis said. “Sometimes, if I’m lucky, a student or parent will tell me directly that I’ve had a positive effect, but more often than not, I don’t really realize it unless I stop to think about it. It’s often in the progress of a student – academically, behaviorally, emotionally or otherwise – that I can see my influence. It may be minute, but that’s OK. They may not realize it, and that’s also OK. When it’s there, it’s the best feeling in the world.”
Shadis is a member of ASCA, the New Jersey School Counselor Association, the Union County School Counselor Association, the Somerset County School Counselor Association, the National Association for College Admissions Counseling, the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association and The College of New Jersey Alumni Association.
2020 - Indra Lyn Owens, M.Ed.
Indra Lyn Owens is New Jersey School Counselor of the year and is currently the school counselor at Chelsea Heights School, an urban elementary school in Atlantic City, N.J., serving 336 students, grades PreK–8. Owens has had the pleasure of serving students and families of Atlantic City at the elementary and high school level within her tenure as a School Counselor for ACBOE.
Indra Lyn Owens, 2020 NJSCA School Counselor of the Year.
“I am excited about the “Trust Your Journey” project and redefining Mental Health support and advocacy in Urban communities, one child and family at a time; building resilient families in lieu of today’s climate is all a part of the positive effects that an effective comprehensive school & community counseling program has on student achievement and overall development and lifelong, lasting success,” she said.
Owens’s TYJ project was highlighted by the Press of Atlantic City during the thick of the COVID 19 pandemic and has since received positive reviews from educators, parents and community members, lauding the book as a guide that actually garners positive results.
Indra has created a lifestyle of service as a certified School Counselor, founder of Princess, Inc., a non-profit organization committed to mentoring, innovative community service initiatives, and being a resource connector for the underserved in the Atlantic City community, and The REAL Support Solutions, a platform on social media and beyond which focuses on redefining mental health support in urban communities and offering mental health support and awareness and consulting in an untraditional safe space for people of color.
She received a Master’s Degree in Education & School Counseling from the University of West Alabama and her Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from Temple University and earned 12 credits from Howard University, during her brief doctoral studies in Education Leadership & Policy.
She is a member of ASCA, the New Jersey School Counselor Association and CASCA, the Cape Atlantic School Counselor Association. She’s also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Indra has been the recipient of numerous awards which include (but not limited to): CASCA Counselor of Atlantic County 2019; one of Atlantic County’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2013, and the Black Image Award for Community Service & Engagement, honored by 101 Women Plus, Inc. of Atlantic County.
Add “published author” to her list of accomplishments---both books, If Only She’d Listened…the Afterthoughts of a Mentor, in early 2018, which is available on Amazon & Kindle, and Trust Your Journey which was released in the summer of 2020.
One of Indra’s favorite quotes is: “Even in the word impossible, there is I’m Possible!”—author unknown
Jill Marie Kuppel, 2019 NJSCA School Counselor of the Year.
2019 - Jill Marie Kuppel
Jill Marie Kuppel is New Jersey school counselor of the year and the school counselor at Estell Manor School, a rural elementary school in Estell Manor, N.J., serving 184 students, grades K–8. “I wholeheartedly believe in the positive effects that a comprehensive school counseling program has on student achievement and overall development,” she said.
Kuppel’s program received RAMP designation in 2018, just a few years after she began collecting data that reflected the impact of her school counseling program and advocating with the superintendent to evolve her part-time teacher/part-time school counselor role into a full-time school counselor position. She recently assisted with ASCA’s first RAMP Fair, answering questions from schools actively pursuing the RAMP designation. She has led a number of initiatives to create systemic change at Estell Manor, such as using data to implement a schoolwide SEL program; establishing a school counseling advisory council; revising the school counselor’s schedule to include periods designated for school counseling; and developing clear goals to address gaps in achievement, attendance and behavior.
Kuppel also chairs several stakeholder committees for her school and district, including the School Counseling Advisory Council, the School Safety/Climate Team for Bullying Awareness and Prevention, and Intervention and Referral Services. When the advisory council set a goal to promote responsible digital citizenship, Kuppel launched an effort with her neighboring school district to build a cyber-safety and social media awareness program. The advisory council and administration put an action plan in place, including researching a variety of digital citizenship programs that would reach all stakeholders involved, previewing programs, requesting multi-district funding, inviting stakeholder participation and organizing a schedule.
Kuppel holds numerous certifications, including New jersey director of school counseling services standard, New Jersey principal certificate of eligibility, New Jersey supervisory standard certificate and New Jersey student personnel services standard certificate. She received a master’s degree in student personnel services from Rowan University and her bachelor’s degree in social work from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. She is a member of ASCA, the New Jersey School Counselor Association and the Cape Atlantic School Counselor Association, where she serves as president.
Click here to read more about Jill and the other state school counselor of the year awardees.
Brian D'Ottavio, 2018 NJSCA School Counselor of the Year.
2018 - Brian D'Ottavio
Dr. Piera Gravenor, Superintendent commented, “Mr. D’Ottavio is more than just an excellent school counselor for our students. He is a mentor, a sounding board, an advisor, a life coach, and an amazing role model. Our students and staff are better for having Brian D’Ottavio as part of our Delsea family.”
Delsea Regional High School principal, Paul Berardelli, added, “Brain D’Ottavio is a game-changer! He has taken on the very challenging job of making sure that our seniors are on track to graduate and pursue their future endeavors. Mr. D’Ottavio is always willing to volunteer his time to the students and staff of Delsea, helping us shine.”
Delsea Regional High School Guidance Director, Melissa Pilitowski stated, "Brian D'Ottavio is an invaluable part of the high school guidance team. His knowledge of the transition process for seniors to college and careers is second to none! He is an amazing resource. The students appreciate his patience and his organization."
Brian is a Buena Regional High School graduate, who went on to receive his Bachelor's degree in History from the University of Pennsylvania in 2002. He continued his education at West Chester (Masters of Education in School Counseling) and St. John's University (Masters of Arts in Asian Studies). Before starting his counseling career at Delsea, Brian taught English as a Second Language in Taipei Taiwan and worked for a luxury tour company in New York and Pennsylvania with a focus on Asian/African/Middle Eastern travel. Brian has visited over 25 countries and can speak Mandarin and Spanish.
Since coming to Delsea, Brian has worked two years at the middle school and four at the high school. He is currently in his third year as the sole counselor for the entire senior class. "I really enjoy the college and career transition aspect of my job," he said. "Helping students get through one of the most stressful and important times in their young lives is very rewarding."
Mr. D'Ottavio has been -- and is currently -- involved in many school activities and clubs. He is the co-adviser of the Class of 2018, the co-adviser of the Gay-Straight Alliance, and the counselor for Delsea's Alternative School program. In the past he has been the program coordinator for the middle school SHAPE program, a middle school Student Council Adviser, and the director of the middle school's "Wall of Character" initiative that highlights students who make positive choices.
Currently, Brian is an adjunct professor with Wilmington University and is teaching a class for the Master of Education in School Counseling Program.
Angela Cleveland, 2017 NJSCA School Counselor of the Year
2017 - Angela Cleveland, M.S.Ed., M.Ed., MA
Angela Cleveland is an international thought leader, writer, and speaker with two passions: ensuring that people of all ages, genders, races, economic backgrounds, abilities, and sexual orientation are empowered to achieve their learning potential through the integration of technology in the educational process, and identifying, helping to create, and communicating the tools and techniques that help to make this goal possible.
As the co-author (with Stephen Sharp) of “50+ Tech Tools for School Counselors: How to Be More Engaging, Efficient, and Effective,” Angela sets forth 50+ tactics to help non-classroom-based educators have a direct impact on how students grasp content and incorporate design thinking in all aspects of their lives. The book is a powerful instrument that enables virtual and in-person, synchronous and asynchronous experiences that enrich the educational process while also helping counselors guide decision making, streamline work, and enhance communication.
A native of New Jersey, Angela offers a lifetime of experience crafting approaches that integrate technology to advance STEM education, promote access and inclusivity, and produce effective programs and communities that can be scaled exponentially. She currently serves as the Technology Chair for the New Jersey School Counselor Association (NJSCA).
Angela is sought as a speaker by school counseling associations and regional associations throughout the US and internationally, and her journal articles have been published by such national publications as Edutopia, CSTA Voice, ISTE Teacher Education Network, and ASCA’s School Counselor magazine. She has been featured in Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls Blog.
Angela’s credentials as a counselor and educator are supported by an MSEd in Psychological Services from the University of Pennsylvania, an MA in Organizational Leadership from Rider University, an MEd in Instruction from The College of New Jersey, and a BA in English from William Paterson University. She has multiple counseling certifications and is a Google Certified Educator.
Dana Karas, 2016 NJSCA School Counselor of the Year
2016 - Dana Karas
As a New Jersey educator for 25 years, Dana Karas has served in the capacity of French teacher, school counselor, and Director of School Counseling. Within the counseling profession, she takes pride in taking a lead position in advocating for school counselors, both locally and across the state, through her work with the New Jersey School Counselor Evaluation Tool, as well as actively serving as an executive board member of the New Jersey School Counselor Association. She is passionate about continuing education for school counselors and the impactful role that school counselors play on school-wide initiatives.
Nicole Kerber, 2015 NJSCA School Counselor of the Year
2015 - Nicole Kerber
Nicole Kerber, School Counselor
Overbrook High School, Pine Hill, NJ
Nicole Kerber is a school counselor at Overbrook High School in Pine Hill, NJ. Nicole became a school counselor in 2007 after teaching Social Studies in grades 7-12 for seven years at her alma mater. She received her Masters in Counseling from Wilmington University and continued her education through NJEXCEL where she received her supervisor, principal and director of school counseling certifications.
Don Borden, interim school principal stated, “The tasks a guidance counselor faces on a daily basis are beyond the understanding of almost anyone who has not worked intimately with individuals in a student personnel services office. Ms. Kerber handles all of the duties entrusted to her, from helping students with the day to day difficulties inherent to being an adolescent to the incredibly pressure filled process of researching, applying and eventually choosing a post-secondary school or occupation, with the same level of concern and competency she gives everything she takes on. There has never been a time where a member of our administrative team, staff or student turned to Ms. Kerber for assistance and did receive her full and immediate attention and effort.”
Nicole is a member of ASCA, NJSCA and is very active in her county association, CCSCA where she has served in various leadership roles. Nicole has carried out the duties of President Elect/FOCUS chair, organizing the countywide college and career fair, President, Past President, and Professional Development Chair.
Dana Kurilew, 2014 NJSCA School Counselor of the Year
2014 - Dara Kurilew
Dana Kurilew is a graduate of the Department of Counselor Education at The College of New Jersey and has served in the capacity of a counselor as well as a supervisor. She is currently the Supervisor of Counseling at Hunterdon Central Regional High School. In 2013-2014, Dana was named both the Hunterdon County High School Counselor of the Year, and High School Counselor of the Year for 2014 by the New Jersey School Counseling Association. Her professional goal is to continue serving on the NJSCA team and providing advocacy, resources, and leadership for the thousands of Professional School Counselors around the state.