Professional Recognition

Tennessee School Counselor of the Year Award

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for the TNSCOY, the nominee/applicant must:

Be nominated for the award (self-nominations are accepted)
Be employed as a full-time, practicing school counselor on October 1, 2026 and have completed at least three years as a practicing school counselor.
Hold a master's degree in guidance and counseling or equivalent and be certified as a school counselor in Tennessee.
Be a TSCA member by May 1, 2026 and an ASCA professional member as of October 1, 2026.
Be submitted by a state school counselor association; and must reside and/or work in Tennessee as of October 1, 2026.
NOT be a current member of the ASCA Board of Directors as of October 1, 2026. *If an applicant’s eligibility status changes after October 1, 2026, ASCA reserves the right to withdraw the applicant from the School Counselor of the Year process.
Complete the SCOY application.
Selected candidate must complete ASCA SCOY application by August 15, 2026.

Application

To be considered for the TNSCOY, the individual must complete the TSCA SCOY Application by May 20, 2026. The application:

Must demonstrate evidence of implementation of a comprehensive, data-driven school counseling program (such as the ASCA National Model) and have been responsible for school counseling innovations or further development of programs supporting students' academic, career, and social/emotional development.
Must demonstrate leadership and collaboration in his or her work and promote equity and access to opportunities and rigorous educational experiences for all students to maximize student achievement. Applicants must also demonstrate collaboration with stakeholders. All activities or accomplishments must have taken place within the previous five years.
Must demonstrate continual professional development as well as proof of advocacy for the profession and/or students.
Must have the ability and skills necessary to represent school counseling in a professional manner, including but not limited to high-quality written communication and public-speaking skills.
Should maintain the highest standards of personal conduct and recognize that his/her personal conduct is held up to public scrutiny. Applicants strive to be model citizens of their community as well as the school counseling community and their broader professional community. They maintain high moral standards in their personal and professional conduct.

Timeline

For eligible nominees, the application is open now through April 1, 2026 at 11:59pm (EST)
Selected candidate will be contacted May 15, 2026
Selected candidate must complete ASCA SCOY application by August 15, 2026.

Rewards

The TNSCOY will be rewarded with a trip to Washington DC to represent TSCA and the state of Tennessee.
The ASCA SCOY receives national recognition through the ASCA website, ASCA Conference, and the ASCA magazine and participation at several ASCA events throughout 2026.
TSCA provides registration to the 2026 SCALI conference.

Questions/Contact

If you have any questions about the TNSCOY award or the process, please contact:

Emily Gill

gillschoolcounselor@gmail.com

TENNESSEE SCHOOL COUNSELOR ASSOCIATION

The mission of TSCA is to promote excellence in the profession of school counseling and to advocate for and support the successful development of all students. TSCA is a state chartered division of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA).

 tscaconnects@gmail.com

FOLLOW US!

   