National Honor for South Dakota School Counselor
By Andrea Diehm | February 2020
Ron Swier, K–12 school counselor in the Avon School District, was honored among top school counselors from across the nation during the American School Counselor Association’s School Counselor of the Year celebration in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 29 and 30.
The School Counselor of the Year Celebration recognizes state school counselors of the year for their student advocacy and dedication to fostering students’ academic, social/emotional and career development.
As part of the recognition, ASCA provided a spotlight on each state school counselor of the year, including Swier.
Ron Swier is South Dakota school counselor of the year and the school counselor at Avon School District 4-1, a rural school in Avon, S.D., serving 240 students, grades K–12. “I am grateful for having the opportunity not only to guide my students’ development in fulfilling their best academically but more importantly by working with each one of my students to encourage a lifelong character foundation that focuses on trust, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and good citizenship,” he said.
Inspired by a Martin Luther King Jr. quote about the function of education, Swier strives to help his students develop a positive character that will last a lifetime. To decrease the number of negative behaviors, Swier teaches an educational program with first- through sixth-graders that focuses on building character. After discussing each character pillar, students watch motivational videos and then discuss personal experiences of how they exhibited each specific positive behavior. Classroom activities follow. By year’s end, teachers and staff reported a marked improvement in overall student behavior. For high school students, Swier initiated a student-of-the-quarter contest, calculating the award on GPA and attendance for the quarter. The winner receives a designated school parking spot along with a poster with the student’s photo displayed in the school lunchroom.
To inform students and their families about financial aid, scholarships and future employment opportunities, Swier has organized annual financial aid nights and career fairs. He also provides one-on-one career counseling sessions. During the 2018-2019 school year, 10 students in a class of 15 received higher education scholarships totaling $270,000. Three of his students were chosen over 1,000 applicants nationwide as three of 365 recipients to receive the Build Dakota Scholarship, which funds tuition and fees to enter a critical needs workforce.
Swier was a finalist for the South Dakota Governor’s Volunteer of the Year Award. He has a master’s degree in educational administration and a master’s degree in counseling from South Dakota State University. He has a bachelor’s degree in education from South Dakota State University. He is a member of ASCA, the South Dakota School Counselor Association and the South Central Cooperative Counselors’ Chapter.
Below, Swier and the school counselors of the year from across the United States gather in January in Washington, D.C.
The School Counselor of the Year Celebration recognizes state school counselors of the year for their student advocacy and dedication to fostering students’ academic, social/emotional and career development.
As part of the recognition, ASCA provided a spotlight on each state school counselor of the year, including Swier.
Ron Swier is South Dakota school counselor of the year and the school counselor at Avon School District 4-1, a rural school in Avon, S.D., serving 240 students, grades K–12. “I am grateful for having the opportunity not only to guide my students’ development in fulfilling their best academically but more importantly by working with each one of my students to encourage a lifelong character foundation that focuses on trust, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and good citizenship,” he said.Inspired by a Martin Luther King Jr. quote about the function of education, Swier strives to help his students develop a positive character that will last a lifetime. To decrease the number of negative behaviors, Swier teaches an educational program with first- through sixth-graders that focuses on building character. After discussing each character pillar, students watch motivational videos and then discuss personal experiences of how they exhibited each specific positive behavior. Classroom activities follow. By year’s end, teachers and staff reported a marked improvement in overall student behavior. For high school students, Swier initiated a student-of-the-quarter contest, calculating the award on GPA and attendance for the quarter. The winner receives a designated school parking spot along with a poster with the student’s photo displayed in the school lunchroom.
To inform students and their families about financial aid, scholarships and future employment opportunities, Swier has organized annual financial aid nights and career fairs. He also provides one-on-one career counseling sessions. During the 2018-2019 school year, 10 students in a class of 15 received higher education scholarships totaling $270,000. Three of his students were chosen over 1,000 applicants nationwide as three of 365 recipients to receive the Build Dakota Scholarship, which funds tuition and fees to enter a critical needs workforce.
Swier was a finalist for the South Dakota Governor’s Volunteer of the Year Award. He has a master’s degree in educational administration and a master’s degree in counseling from South Dakota State University. He has a bachelor’s degree in education from South Dakota State University. He is a member of ASCA, the South Dakota School Counselor Association and the South Central Cooperative Counselors’ Chapter.
Below, Swier and the school counselors of the year from across the United States gather in January in Washington, D.C.