Fayetteville-Manlius school counselor Dana Pierce recently got an exciting opportunity — she was invited to be honored at the White House in Washington D.C. with school counselors from across the country and to be present for First Lady Michelle Obama’s final remarks to the country.
“It was absolutely amazing, I am so honored,” said Pierce. “To have the opportunity to represent New York state and my school in my profession is an honor and incredible opportunity.”
Pierce was named the New York State School Counselor of the Year in 2015 by the New York State School Counselor Association. Pierce and her guest, F-M’s Director of Counseling Heidi Green, were invited along with other state counselor of the year awardees to the White House to take part in the American School Counselor Association’s 2017 School Counselor of the Year event and to see First Lady Michelle Obama’s final remarks on Jan. 6.
Prior to the first lady’s remarks, awardees attended a panel featuring Education Secretary John B. King Jr., former Education Secretary Arne Duncan, “Friday Night Lights” television show actress Connie Britton, 2016 School Counselor of the Year Katherine Pastor and First-Generation Baltimore Founder Verlando Brown. A gala was put on by the ASCA that night at Union Station, which Pierce also had the opportunity to attend.
Pierce said she returned home feeling a reaffirmation of why she went into counseling in the first place — to help all children no matter their circumstance to have the tools to succeed in school and in life.
“It was surreal, I think I was so moved by the passion and importance that [Michelle Obama] places on the work that educators, including school counselors, that we do,” Pierce said. “Her message truly is we need to make sure all of our children have access, know they matter, are welcome and can be who they want to be. That our role [as school counselors] is to be a part of that process and provide access to quality education to really make sure no one falls through the cracks.”
Pierce earned a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Science degree in counseling services from the State University of New York at Oswego and has been a counselor with the F-M district for 22 years.
