In celebration of National School Counseling Week, more than 600 counselors and educators came together on Wednesday, Feb. 5 to collaborate on new approaches for supporting student growth at the 11th annual Orange County Counselor Symposium.
The conference, organized by the Orange County Department of Education, invited education professionals to engage in expert-led sessions for guiding students toward improved academic success, college and career readiness, and emotional development.
The event kicked off with a welcome from Dennis Cole, OCDE chief of staff, who acknowledged the educators in attendance for their dedication to making a profound, positive impact on students’ lives. Following his remarks, the 2025 Orange County School Counselors and Counseling Advocates of the Year were introduced by two of last year’s honorees, Santa Ana Unified School District counselor Brandon Irvine Gernux and Amanda Romero, department co-chair of the Counseling Center at Irvine Valley College.
This year’s honorees included seven TK-12 school district counselors, along with a counseling advocate, a community college counselor and — for the first time — a charter school counselor, expanding the award’s reach across educational systems.
The Orange County Counselor Recognition Program was established seven years ago to applaud the county’s top school counselors and their daily efforts to help their school communities navigate academic challenges and foster essential life skills along the way.
With dozens of breakout sessions available, counselors had the opportunity to hear from panels of distinguished educators on important topics such as strengthening pathways for high school students looking to attend community college and creating effective response strategies to school crisis incidents.
In line with the conference’s theme, “Elevating Scholars: Cultivating Genius,” keynote speaker and University of Illinois at Chicago professor Dr. Gholdy Muhammad emphasized the power of joy in learning. Drawing from her experience as a literacy specialist, classroom teacher and author, Dr. Muhammad illustrated how cultivating joy encourages students to unlock their “genius,” or fullest potential.
“We don’t need to give children their genius, they already have it,” said Dr. Muhammad. “We just need to nurture their growth.”
In recognition of their exceptional commitment to students, here are the school counselors and counseling advocates honored at the 11th annual Orange County Counselor Symposium:
2025 Orange County School Counselors of the Year
Jennifer Hatfield, Hidden Hills Elementary School in the Capistrano Unified School District
Noemi Alvarado, Madison Elementary School in the Santa Ana Unified School District
Joanne Kurtz, Pioneer Middle School in the Tustin Unified School District
Jodie Reddingius, Beatty Middle School in the Buena Park School District
Jami Gulini, Early College High School in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District
Christa Schulz, Trabuco Hills High School in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District
Jill Briquelet, Gilbert High School in the Anaheim Union High School District
Eleshia Shipp, Oxford Preparatory Academy – South Orange County
Ruby Pastrana, General Counselor at Irvine Valley College
2025 Orange County Counseling Advocate of the Year
Dr. Michael Keller, Director of Social Emotional Support in the Laguna Beach Unified School District