Honoring Beth Embree

Elizabeth J. Embree is North Carolina school counselor of the year and one of two school counselors at St. Stephens Elementary School in Conover, N.C., a suburban school serving 681 students, grades PK–6, with 100% of the students on free or reduced lunch. “I treasure my position as an elementary school counselor, and I hope my work continues to bring about systemic change for this profession,” she said.

Embree works diligently to create connections and has built sustain­able relationships with stakeholders, resulting in a quality rapport with students, staff and families that allows her to better advocate and guide them toward attaining their goals.

Transitioning from a school where she was the only school counsel­or, Embree quickly learned to utilize the strengths of a multidisci­plinary team of two school counselors, a school nurse and a school social worker. To serve lower-performing students from homes stricken by poverty, she took professional development courses to sharpen her focus in areas such as whole-brain engagement, toxic stress and resiliency to adverse childhood experiences.

She collaborates with the student services department to deliver highly engaged indirect services to staff, specialists, families and community agencies to ensure students receive high-quality sup­port in return. For one indirect service, Embree wrote and received a $5,000 grant to increase structured play options on the playground, decreasing office referrals due to disengaged youth from 70 to 15. She also leads the process to identify student deficits, establish interventions and request further evaluation when appropriate.

After the schools’ data profile indicated a need to improve overall proficiency in reading, math and science, Embree and her colleague created the Own It Challenge to increase student accountability and ownership of their academic performance and reduce student apa­thy toward school. Collaborating with families, staff and community members, they developed student participation incentives, tracked performance data and percentile rank goals, conducted coaching sessions, created motivational videos, taught lessons on percentile ranks, goal setting and test prep strategies. They hosted a block party celebration for students who achieved their goals. As a result, proficiency increased from 53% the previous year to 61%, creating systemic change in student self-worth and academic independence.

Embree is certified by the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards and received her add-on licensure in school administra­tion from Appalachian State University. She holds a master’s degree in counseling and a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a second major in sociology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is a member of ASCA and the North Carolina School Counselor Association.


2020 National School Counselor of the Year winner, finalists, and representatives from across the United States.