San Angelo ISD Counselors Honored as Counselors of the Year

SAN ANGELO, TX – Three San Angelo ISD counselors were honored as Counselors of the Year by the ​Three Rivers Counseling Association​ (TRCA) at the 32nd Annual Counselor Appreciation Luncheon held on Thursday, February 4, 2021. Congratulations to:

● Veronica Meza of Bowie Elementary, winner of the George Pliler Elementary School www.saisd.org Counselor of the Year Award,

● Celia Lewis of Glenn Middle School, winner of the George Pliler Middle School Counselor of the Year Award, and

● Lani Webster of Central High School, winner of the George Pliler High School Counselor of the Year Award.

“We are blessed to have counselors that are passionate about serving. They support our students, families and staff with the critical side of students' social and emotional state as well as academics and future planning. These three outstanding counselors have gone above and beyond and are shining examples of how our people truly make the difference ,” said Dr. Farrah Gomez, SAISD Assistant Superintendent, Human Resources & Professional Learning.

TRCA sponsors the annual luncheon to honor those who chose the profession of counseling to assist those who are in need of service. To qualify for the awards, nominations were made based on letters of support from a colleague, student or community leader or the nominee’s supervisor or administrator. Excerpts from the nominations about the three SAISD award-winning counselors include:

“Veronica is an amazing person and an intricate part of our Bowie Family,” said Bowie Principal Darius Flowers. “Her willingness to support our students and staff is truly amazing. She actively engages students and faculty in monthly recognitions, celebrations, and advocates celebrating all the ways our students are smart. Her decision to nominate our shining students as MVPs, Most Valuable Patriots, has greatly impacted our campus... This has significantly impacted the culture on our campus.”

“Mrs. Lewis is a consistent source of patience and guidance on our campus,” said Glenn Middle School Assistant Principal Crystal King. “She serves her students’ needs each day. As

the ESL coordinator for our campus, Mrs. Lewis serves our English Language Learners throughout the school day and year. Her relationships with these students often provide a bright spot for the student in a difficult time in their lives. I have also seen Mrs. Lewis’s work with students suffering in the search of who they are. She is patient, kind, honest, and consistent in her messaging to them. Our campus is fortunate to have Mrs. Lewis to guide us.”

“Lani has been an art teacher and now counselor for several years. Her love for her students and job is evident in her dedication and work ethic,” said Central High School Lead Counselor Marcie Featherston. “She is always on time, works late and does a masterful job... She goes above and beyond in everything she works on. If you walk into her office, she immediately stops what she is doing and gives you her full attention. When she visits with students about post-secondary plans, she is very detailed, thorough and knowledgeable. She can guide them and help them with whatever questions they have. If a student comes in with a problem, she not only listens and talks to them about it, she helps them figure out ways to cope with it and work through it. If a counselor has a question, it is usually Lani they turn to for an accurate answer. ... I am honored to work with Lani.”

SAISD school counselors are certified, experienced educators with a master’s degree in school counseling. The combination of their training and experience makes them an integral part of the total educational program to more fully serve our students.

Please join us in congratulating and thanking our outstanding TRCA Counselor of the Year award winners! ​To stay up-to-date on San Angelo ISD, please visit the SAISD website at www.saisd.org​ and follow us on ​Facebook​ and ​Twitter​.