SMITHFIELD – Brandy Peters, a school counselor at South Johnston High has been named 2023-2024 Johnston County Public Schools (JCPS) School Counselor of the Year (SCOY).
Peters has been a school counselor for 21 years, and has spent her entire career with JCPS, and South Johnston High. She received the award at the JCPS School Counselor Celebration on Friday, February 9, 2024.
In honor of National School Counseling Week, the district’s Student Services Department hosted the celebration to bring the approximately 100 counselors together for breakfast, conversation, and to hear guest speaker Deirdra Williams Hawkes, Director of Programs and Advocacy for the American School Counselor Association.
“I can’t think of a better way to conclude National School Counseling Week by being amongst school counselors,” noted Hawkes. “It shows how appreciative we are for what they do each and every day.”
“It is important to have celebrations like this to not only honor the professionals who are supporting our students everyday, but also to raise awareness about the importance of the work being done through school counseling programs,” Dr. Amanda Allen, Executive Director of Student Services said. “Bringing counselors together for professional development and collaboration helps us to improve all of our school counseling programs throughout JCPS!”
JCPS takes pleasure in recognizing staff for the amazing work they perform, and the inaugural counselor recognition event was a great success. “This is the first event that brought all JCPS school counselors together to celebrate the role of professional school counselors,” said Kim Lewter, JCPS Lead School Counselor and event coordinator. “2023-2024 SCOY Nominations were received by principals, assistant principals, EC teachers, Parent Engagement Assistants, ESL teachers and school nurses.”
The nominees were: Lauren Brown (Riverwood Elementary), Sekesha Chestnut (Archer Lodge Middle), Sara Davis (Powhatan Elementary), Monica Handy (Clayton High), Janet Lee (Selma Middle), Ashley Morton (Corinth Holders Elementary), Brandy Peters (South Johnston High), Donna Price (Meadow School), Kim Sigmon (West Clayton Elementary).
