Featured Finalist: Summer Royale Whittington
Summer Royale Whittington, school counselor at Ernest Gallet Elementary School in Youngsville, La., is a 2026 School Counselor of the Year® finalist. She has been a school counselor since 2018. Ernest Gallet Elementary School serves 900 students in grades pre-K–5.
““Summer is, without a doubt, an invaluable asset – not only to her school, but also to the greater Lafayette community,” said Jardin Burleigh, site-based program manager, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Acadiana. “As a key partner in our mentoring programs, she goes above and beyond in ensuring students are matched with mentors who can make a meaningful impact on their lives. She is a proactive communicator, a tireless advocate and someone who consistently ensures the children's needs and best interests are prioritized.” Read more about Summer.
What Makes Summer Tick?
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
As a child, I dreamed of being everything from a pediatrician to a teacher, but every version of my dream centered on helping others and working with children. But I’m not done changing. Even now, I tell my students that when I grow up, I plan to write and illustrate children’s books.
What’s one goal you have for your school counseling program next year?
I want to expand small group support so every student who needs connection and skill-building has a space to belong and grow.
If you could have an unlimited supply of anything for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Patience
How would you describe your job to a 5 year old?
I help kids solve problems, make friends and feel better when their hearts or brains get a little too full.
Do you have any hidden talents?
I can make something meaningful out of almost nothing, whether it’s a last-minute lesson, an outside-the-box solution or a craft project held together by optimism and a glue gun. I am the master of creative problem solving.
What’s one important skill you think everyone should have?
I think we all need to maintain the ability to have not only empathy but compassion for ourselves and others.
What could you talk about for 30 minutes with no notes?
Compassion/caregiver fatigue in teachers, ACEs and children in poverty, trauma-informed classrooms, how school counselors change lives, or ADHD. I could definitely talk about ADHD.
How did you get into school counseling?
During my time as a student teacher in low-income schools, I found myself drawn to students who struggled behaviorally or emotionally. I cared more about their well-being than whether they learned their alphabet, which told me something very important. I was meant to support the whole child, not just academics. A few months after graduating, I realized how much I missed learning and growing, so I returned to school to study counseling. I was always told I had a calming presence, and I had long been fascinated by psychology and helping others. Counseling felt like a natural choice but I struggled to decide between the clinical mental health and school counseling tracks, so I did both. After working as a family therapist, I realized I wanted more structure and the chance to create lasting impact within a community. When I became a school counselor, everything clicked. For the first time in my career, I didn’t want to leave. That’s when I knew I’d found where I was meant to be.