Amari BenLevi

Gabrielle Brundidge

Dr. Elin Peinado Cervantes

Dr. Bernell Elzey

Hello, my name Dr. Bernell L. Elzey Jr., and I am a Counselor Educator in New Orleans, LA. I earned my Ph.D. from the University of Holy Cross of New Orleans in Counselor Education and Supervision and M.A. in Counseling from Xavier University of Louisiana; where I was honored with the Outstanding Graduate Student Award. Currently, I serve as a Professional High School Counselor, Adjunct Professor in Counselor Education at the University Holy Cross, Nicholls State University, and Antioch University. Also, I am the Owner/Practitioner of Conscious Therapy and Wellness, LLC. Prior to becoming a counselor, I served as a High School Teacherwhere I earned the distinction of Teacher of the Year in 19-20. In July 2024, I will begin my term as President of the Louisiana School Counselor Association and second term as Co-Chair of the Diversity and Social Justice Committee within the Southern Association of Counselor Education and Supervision. Lastly, I am a member of Chi Sigma Iota Honor Society for Counselors . Kappa Delta Pi Honor Society in Education, American School Counselor Association. American Counseling Association. 

James Harris

James Harris is a school counselor with almost a decade of experience. James has worked at the elementary and secondary levels in public schools with minority student populations. James has worked with local and national organizations to address academic equity and access for minority students for the past three years. James is currently a doctoral student at Regent University, expecting to research ways to address student-counselor ratios, school counselors and special education advocacy, and the school counselors' role in juvenile justice.

Denise Hawkins

Denise Hawkins has served as a Professional School Counselor for 16 years. Her passion for helping others led her to a career in counseling. Still, it was not a straight path, as evidenced by earning an undergraduate degree in Pre-law from Chapman University. After a career in banking, foreclosure, loss mitigation, and starting a family, Denise returned to school to earn a master’s degree in Counseling and Pupil Personnel Services from California State University Long Beach. Denise’s passion for college access crystallized in her work as a high school counselor. She returned to school to earn an Education Specialist degree in School Counseling from Argosy University. Denise is currently a doctoral candidate in the Counselor Education and Supervision program at the University of Georgia. She uses her career story in her work to educate and empower students and families of color to use their voices to gain access to advanced-level courses, leadership opportunities, and college and career exploration through individual and small group counseling, peer leadership, mentor training, and parent workshops. She created a leadership program and parent empowerment workshop to ensure college access and equity for students of color. Denise is a recipient of the 2024 NBCC Propelling Mental Health, Powering the Future: School Counseling Award. She is also one of ten U.S. women selected for a national diversity fellowship program launched by Ruling Our Experiences (ROX), a national non-profit organization focused on the health, safety, education, and empowerment of girls of color.

Katie Mitchell-Dodge

Katie Mitchell-Dodge enthusiastically joins the National School Counselor Fellows community as an Upper School Counselor at Phoenix Country Day School in Paradise Valley, Arizona, and a doctoral student in the Counselor Supervision & Education program at The University of Arizona. She brings her counseling experience and previous work in school counseling, college counseling, college admission, recruitment, and scholarship awarding to the cohort. The daughter of public school educators, Katie is forever grateful for the support she received as she earned a B.U.S. from North Dakota State University, a M.A. in Educational Leadership from the University of Northern Colorado, and a M.Ed. in School Counseling from Prescott College. Katie is passionate about helping students find opportunities for continued learning and working to break barriers blocking success. Katie’s practice and research interests include social emotional learning's role in high school education and adolescent development, student-to-counselor ratios, and antiracism advocacy and accountability for educators and adolescents preparing for college and higher education. Katie is excited to continue advocating for students who have been systemically marginalized or oppressed and work to find equity and access for students.

Nwakaego Oriji (TEXAS)

Brittany Paul

Born and raised in Port Arthur, TX, Brittany Paul received both her Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees from Texas Southern University in Houston, TX. Brittany began her career in education as Reading/ELA teacher for Houston ISD where she served for three years. She transitioned to the higher education sector as an Adjunct Professor for Business and Professional Communication at Texas Southern for the 2019 semesters. Recently, Brittany has served as a College and Career Readiness Advisor and Manager for Houston ISD’s College Readiness department. She is currently the Director of College and Career Counseling for KIPP Texas Public Schools. Brittany is a member of the Texas Association of College Admission Counselors and has also co-presented sessions at their annual conference and on the national level. Brittany is passionate about assisting students with their postsecondary plans after high school, coaching her colleagues, and learning more about the changing landscape of higher education.

Mia Tatum-Crider

As a School Counselor I am passionate about providing all students and families with services and programs to support and enhance their academic, social, emotional, and mental health, and wellness. As educational inequities are not inevitable I utilized my voice to advocate for all students and families. It is our role as school counselors to lead, advocate and disrupt or remove barriers so that all students can obtain their educational goals and aspirations. I continue to work toward creating educational and systemic changes to support student success. I have a genuine love for learning and a desire to lead future school counselors by completing my Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision. A message of hope I share with students and families; “It IS possible and it WILL be worth it! We must remember that through our struggles we can find strength, stay hopeful!”

Christina Tillery (VIRGINIA)

Alejandra Vega

My name is Alejandra Vega and I am a second year Pupil Services and Attendance (PSA) Counselor at Mendez High School in Boyle Heights. Previously, I was a School Counselor at Gardena High School in Gardena, CA for five years. I am a proud first generation daughter of migrant farmworkers from Woodlake, California and have received my Bachelor of Arts in Humanities and Communication from California State University, Monterey Bay, Master of Science in Counseling- School Counseling Option from California State University, Long Beach and Master of Education- Principal Leadership Institute from the University of California, Los Angeles. As a counselor, I deeply value and take pride in the relationships and community I build with students. Each day, I strive to respond to my students in an empathetic and genuine way to appropriately support their needs. Through this fellowship, I hope to engage in meaningful dialogue and research that works to make postsecondary readiness attainable and equitable for every student.

Gisselle Mandujano Puga (CALIFORNIA)

Elizabeth Mendoza (CALIFORNIA)

Alicia Oglesby (PENNSYLVANIA)

Maritza Cha (California) 

Maritza Cha graduated from Garfield High School in East Los Angeles and became the first in her family to attend and graduate from college, the University of California, Los Angeles. She graduated in 2005 with two Bachelor’s Degrees in Political Science and History, with a minor in Education. UCLA was so nice she went there twice, earning a Master’s Degree in Education, as well as a teaching credential, from UCLA’s Teacher Education Program in 2007. She taught social studies at her alma mater, Garfield High School for 4 years.  In 2010, Mrs. Cha and several colleagues designed and launched a pilot school within the Los Angeles Unified School District – Social Justice Leadership Academy at Esteban Torres High School. Mrs. Cha then decided to work towards her lifelong dream of becoming a college counselor. Mrs. Cha earned her second Master’s Degree, a counseling credential and child welfare and attendance credential, from Cal State Dominguez Hills in 2015. Mrs. Cha currently works for Alhambra Unified School District as a school counselor and is working towards her PhD at Claremont Graduate University in Education/Urban Leadership. 

Christine Enrico (New Jersey)

Dr. Christine Enrico is a licensed school counselor at Jose Marti STEM Academy in Union City, where she has worked for 11 years. She graduated from The George Washington University with a bachelor’s degree in International Affairs. She earned her master’s degree in School Counseling from Centenary University, where she also received her school counseling and associate counseling certification. She also holds certificates in substance awareness and college advising. She recently earned her doctorate of education in educational technology leadership, where her dissertation focused on school counselors' usage of technology assisting in the college admissions process during COVID-19. Dr. Enrico has earned specialist certificates in College Admissions, School Counseling Leadership, Mental Health, Anxiety & Stress, Data, Career Development, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from the American School Counselor Association. 

As a school counselor, she has had the pleasure of assisting students in grades 9-12 and overseeing alternate education and adult high school students navigating through their secondary and post-secondary academic life. Her experience includes educational planning, school use of technology, testing, overall staff professional development, and many aspects of college and career planning. 

Enrique Espinoza (California)

Enrique Espinoza is a first generation college student and the first in his family to earn a doctorate degree. Enrique is a practicing schools counselor in the Garden Grove Unified School District in Southern California. His research interest is  focused on issues of mental health, racism and inequity in K-12 schools, and the role of school counselors in addressing these issues. He is also an adjunct professor in the school counseling program at Cal State Long Beach.

Lillian Martz (Montana)

Lillian Martz is finishing up her 1st year of her doctoral studies at The University of Montana. She is pursuing a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision with the hopes of training future school counselors. She received her Master's in School Counseling from The University of Montana in 2009 and has worked as a high school counselor for the better part of the last decade. She is passionate about equity and social justice, crisis counseling and proper training of school counselors to handle students in crisis, and career exploration and dual enrollment opportunities for public school students. 

Lydia McNeiley (Indiana)

Lydia McNeiley is the Lead School Counselor at Charles N. Scott Middle School in Hammond, Indiana. She holds a Master’s of Education degree in School Counseling from Purdue University Northwest. Lydia was named the 2020 Indiana Middle School Counselor of the Year and is the recipient of the Indiana School Counselor Association’s (ISCA) inaugural Trailblazer Award. She was also recognized as the Purdue University Northwest Educational Talent Search TRIO 2021 Community Partner Award Winner. She has contributed to pieces for NPR, Ed Week, National Geographic Kids, and NBC News. She was recently chosen as a member of the ASCA DEI committee. Her goal is to help expose marginalized youth to the different college and career opportunities available to them, in turn helping prepare them for future success.