School Counseling

Hero Grad Stock Photo — Delivering programs and supports that impact student growth

School counselors play a critical role in ensuring schools provide a safe, caring environment and that students have the necessary mindsets and behaviors to advance academic achievement outcomes. School counselors deliver programs that have an impact on student growth in three domain areas: academic development, career development, and social / emotional development. Read the American School Counselor Association position statements on the role of the school counselor.

Programs and EventS

The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) emphasizes the importance of ongoing professional development as a cornerstone of effective school counseling. ASCA’s position is clear: professional development is essential to staying current with educational trends, refining counseling practices, and ultimately, providing the highest level of support to students. By engaging in continuous learning, you ensure that you are not only meeting professional standards but also paving the way for innovative and impactful counseling programs.

San Diego County School Counselor of the Year image

2025 School Counselor of the Year (SCOY) - New Selection Process

NOMINATION WINDOW NOW OPEN: Sept. 6 to Oct. 25, 2024

The San Diego County SCOY program is introducing a new process. Starting Sept. 6, educators can nominate eligible candidates using an online form.

Fall Frenzy: Professional Learning Series for School Counselors (opens in new window/tab)

WORKSHOPS ADDED DAILY!

School counselors at all levels will have the opportunity to increase their knowledge and practices as they relate to college and career readiness using the new Fall Frenzy: Professional Learning Series for School Counselors calendar and guidebook.

IMPACT Day (opens in new window/tab)

SAVE-THE-DATE: March 7, 2025

IMPACT Day is back! Mark your calendars for March 7, 2025, and join us for a full day dedicated to learning, connection, and growth—designed specifically for school counselors. Registration is now open, and space is limited, so be sure to sign up today!

Seeking Out Success For New School Counselors

Multilingual Learner Community of Practice

FIRST SESSION: Oct. 9, 2024

This Community of Practice (CoP) offers school counselors (grades 6-12) across San Diego County the chance to come together, explore strategies for effectively supporting multilingual learners, and exchange best practices.

SOS For New School Counselors

FIRST SESSION: Oct. 3, 2024

SOS for New School Counselors is a year-long program tailored for practicing school counselors with three years of experience or less. The program aims to provide mentorship and resources to help our new school counselors thrive in their roles.

UC/CSU Updates!

ONE SESSION: Oct. 16, 2024

Meet local college representatives and learn important updates for both the UC and CSU systems. This session is designed for high school counselors in San Diego County who were unable to attend the fall UC and CSU school counselor conferences. This program is sponsored by the SDSU Early Assessment Program and is FREE to all participants.

LEADERSHIP NETWORKS

Equitable Transcript Evaluators (EQT) Network (opens in new window/tab)

We invite administrators, school counselors, and registrars to join our new SDCOE EQT Network to develop countywide standard operating procedures (SOP) and systems for evaluating out-of-state, international, and out-of-district transcripts.

CCGI Leadership Team (opens in new window/tab)

The California College Guidance Initiative (CCGI) works to smooth the path to college for California students and unify the efforts of the institutions that serve them. Join the SDCOE CCGI Leadership Team to work collaboratively with other districts and schools to roll out this initiative and ensure that all students in our county have access to these resources.

Social Climate Network

Discover the opportunity to join a network of school counselors and district leaders interested in implementing Kelvin for the 2024-25 school year. This tool allows you to collect and measure SEL data, demonstrating your impact on student success. To learn more, attend our Virtual Information Session on September 24.

District Leader Network

The District Leader Network (DLN) is a vibrant team of representatives from each of San Diego County's 42 districts, dedicated to supporting school counselors. Meeting bi-monthly, the DLN provides a platform for networking, sharing best practices, and collaborating on topics relevant to the profession. Participation in the DLN is by invitation only.

professional Learning Calendar

View full calendar

More to Explore

San Diego County School Counselor Newsletter

San Diego County Newsletter Archive

Get the San Diego County School Counselor newsletter in your inbox every other month and find updates regularly added on this webpage. Subscribe by clicking on the bell icon below.

Catch up on San Diego County School Counselor newsletters sent this school year.

Subscribe to Alerts

Social Media

Stay connected and share your work by following these accounts and tagging these handles in your social media posts.

School Counselor Leadership Awards

Honoring Excellence in School Counseling Leadership is a program that recognizes and celebrates school counselors who are leaders in our profession. We also recognize one School Counselor Advocate of the Year, one Administrator of the Year, and one Community-Based Organization of the Year.

2024 School Counselor Honorees

Diego Arias

Loma Verde Elementary School

Diego Arias has been a counselor at Loma Verde Elementary School in the Chula Vista Elementary School District since 2016. In nominating Mr. Arias, his principal, Bree Watson said, ”One of Mr. Arias' greatest strengths lie in his ability to establish and maintain excellent rapport with all stakeholders. His interactions with students, parents, teachers, and community members are characterized by warmth, empathy, and genuine care. He is highly respected and admired for his kind, positive, and nurturing approach, which creates a sense of belonging and safety for everyone in our school community.”

Candia Sierra London

Greenfield Middle School

Candia Sierra London is a counselor at Greenfield Middle School in the Cajon Valley Union School District. She began there in 2016. She stated, "Being a middle school counselor feels like stepping through the pages of a Harry Potter book. Every day feels like we're right there in Hogwarts, watching our kids figure out which house they belong to and how to unleash their magic. My why? I want to help students see the incredible potential that's already inside them, even if they don't quite believe in it yet. Like gardeners, we're planting seeds and trusting that one day, they'll bloom into something remarkable. That's what keeps me going every day, knowing that even if I don't see the results right away, I'm making a difference in our students' lives."

Graphic of High School Counselor of the Year

Eryn Barker

Bonsall High School

Eryn Barker joined Bonsall High School in Bonsall Unified School District in 2018 at Pasqual Academy. Her nominator, Jewyl Alderson said, “I have watched Eryn Barker reach great heights in serving the students at Bonsall Unified School District. Her drive to provide students with career readiness, early college access and a welcoming environment is truly amazing, especially in a small rural community where the challenges of access to industry, changing leadership and the balancing of many priorities.”

Vivian Carranco

Escondido Union High School District

Vivian Carranco has been a college and career readiness specialist for Escondido Union High School District since 2022. Bulette said, "Vivian has never been one to take the safe route. She has not only committed herself to supporting the work of school counselors in the Escondido Union HS District, but she has taken her passion and been an active participatory voice and leader throughout the county."

Dawn Cuizon

Grossmont Union High School District

Dawn Cuizon has been in education and counseling for 25 years, most recently as director II college and career readiness of the Grossmont Union High School District. She has supported and advocated for students and school counselors. While presenting her the award, SDCOE Counseling Coordinator Tanya Bulette said, "Thank you for being such a beautiful example of a courageous leader who takes risks and inspires us to be better. Your passion and love for our community, and for each person in this space is evident in all that you do."

Cal-SOAP

Linda Doughty, Director

Cal-SOAP was given the Community Based Organization of the Year award for its work "going above and beyond to support students and families." Under the unwavering leadership of Linda Doughty, Cal-SOAP has been instrumental in increasing FAFSA and CADAA completion rates for San Diego County students, breaking down barriers to college access for many. Cal-SOAP goes above and beyond to support San Diego students and families navigate postsecondary education and financial aid.

Recognized ASCA Model Programs (RAMP)

RAMP recognizes schools committed to delivering comprehensive, data-informed school counseling programs aligned with the ASCA National Model framework. The RAMP designation demonstrates to administrators, school boards, families and the community at large that the schools are committed to supporting the mission of the school and district. To date, approximately 1,200 schools have earned the RAMP designation.

2024 San Diego County RAMP Recipients

Aviara Oaks Middle School, Carlsbad Union School District
Fletcher Elementary School, San Diego Unified School District

2022 San Diego County RAMP Recipients

Greenfield Middle School, Cajon Valley Union School District
Patrick Henry High School, San Diego Unified School District

san diego county Race to Submit Campaign

Race to Submit is a statewide campaign that aims to increase the number of financial aid applications for California high school seniors who complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and California Dream Act Application. Filling out these financial aid applications is the first step towards college success and helps students qualify for federal and state aid to help pay for college. In 2019, San Diego County started their first Race to Submit campaign countywide to encourage schools to monitor and support students through these efforts.

The San Diego County Race to Submit campaign was paused in 2023-24 due to challenges with the new FAFSA/CADAA applications, however it is set to resume in 2024-25.

Previous Award Honorees

San Diego County, High School Counselors of the Year

2023 Christopher Toomey, San Pasqual Academy, SDCOE JCCS
2022 Christine Araki, Launch Virtual Academy, Sweetwater Union High School District
2021 Cherryl Baker, Mission Hills High, San Marcos Unified School District
2020 Lysabeth Luansing-Garcia, Sweetwater High, Sweetwater Union High School District

San Diego County, Middle School Counselors of the Year

2023 Karena Haro-Esparza, Feaster Charter School
2022 Nicole Roman, Twin Peaks Middle, Poway Unified School District
2021 Bonnie Hayman, La Mesa Arts Academy, La Mesa Spring Valley School District
2020 Edward Gigliotti, Pepper Drive, Santee School District

San Diego County, Elementary School Counselors of the Year

2023 Heidi Saupe, Monte Vista Elementary School, Vista Unified School District
2022 Fran Hjalmarson, Los Penasquitos, Poway Unified School District
2021 Ann Pierce, Campo Elementary, Mountain Empire Unified School District

San Diego County Advocate of the Year

2023 Lezya Weglarz, Counselor on Special Assignment, San Marcos Unified
2022 Tami Johnson, School Counselor Coordinator, Cajon Valley Union School District

San Diego County Administrator of the Year

2023 Greg Mizel, Assistant Superintendent, Poway Unified School District
2022 Tracy Wilson, Director II, College and Career Readiness, Grossmont Union High School District

San Diego County Lifetime Achievement Award in School Counseling Leadership

2023 Dr. Lonnie Rowell, Retired Professor, University of San Diego
2022 Dr. Trish Hatch, Professor Emeritus, SDSU, CEO & President, Hatching Results

San Diego County Community-Based Organization of the Year

2023 The San Marcos Promise, North County San Diego

Professional Organizations, Ethics, and Standards

Academic Domain

College/Career Domain

Explore this curated list of resources that school counselors and others can use to aid and support students in preparation for their post-secondary options.

SDCOE College Planning Guides and Resources

Choosing the Right College: This report looked at postsecondary enrollment and completion rates for San Diego’s college going students with a special focus on areas that contribute to higher retention and completion rates in our most commonly attended colleges and universities (May 2021).
College Checklists: Individual checklists for all local community colleges, UCs, and most applied to California State Universities (CSU), to ensure that students are aware of important deadlines.
Financial Aid Resources for School Counselors: List of resources, contacts, and trainings for school counselors
Is a 4-year College Right for Me?: Brochure that educators can use with students to support them through the college application and decision process.
Make it Easier Guide: From College Applications to Summer Melt: A K-12 Field Guide for Supporting Low-Income Students through the College Enrollment Process.
Scholarship Database (coming soon)

SDCOE Career Planning Guides and Resources

Career Technical Education (CTE): Resources for school counselors on implementing successful career pathways.
College and Career Readiness Indicators (CCI) Chart: Infographic of the seven components to indicate that students are prepared for post-secondary options.

Other College and Career Resources

Social/Emotional Domain

Explore this curated list of resources that school counselors and others can use to aid and support students in personal and social, and mental health issues.

SDCOE Health and Well-Being Resources

SDCOE Special Populations Resources

SDCOE Systems of Support

CASC Personal/Social Lesson Plans by Level

Community-Based Organizations

Online Resources

PPS Supervision Course

The San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) built an online training to help universities and districts satisfy the most recent Pupil Personnel Services Standards in California. Completion of this course satisfies the CTC requirement of training to serve as a "University Supervisor" or "Site Supervisor" to a California Pupil Personnel Services Credential (School Counseling or School Social Work) candidate during their clinical practice, internship, or fieldwork requirement, earning you a badge of certification.

This course is appropriate for anyone supporting the practice of a new counseling or social work candidate and may include:

Site Counseling/Site Social Work Supervisor
University/Preparation Program Supervisor
PPS Field Experience Supervisor
Fieldwork Supervisor
Counseling/Social Work Support Lead

Learn more about costs and how to register.

main contacts

Tanya Bulette
School Counseling Coordinator
tanya.bulette@sdcoe.net

Lezya Weglarz
Project Specialist
lezya.weglarz@sdcoe.net

Erika Hernandez
Administrative Assistant
erika.hernandez@sdcoe.net

Transcripts and Records Request Information