UF education grad is named state's top elementary school counselor

Karen Pearson began her counseling career as an intern at Stephen Foster Elementary School in Gainesville, but now she’s the school’s guidance counselor with a top state honor to her credit.

Pearson, a UF College of Education graduate with a specialist (Ed.S.) degree in counselor education earned in 1994, has been named Florida’s elementary school counselor of the year by the Florida School Counselors Association.  

At Stephen Foster, Pearson provides guidance counseling for individual students and faculty, small groups and classrooms. She works with parents, teachers and the community to allow her students to have off-campus experiences such as field trips, which included scoring tickets for UF sporting events and taking third-graders to see “A Christmas Carol” at the Hippodrome State Theatre.

Pearson tries to do something different for her students every day, such as providing a weekly puppet presentation for kindergartners on needed social skills or counseling students during all three lunch periods on a wide range of issues including personal or family crises, behavioral management, peer issues and self-control.

“Children and families are her focus,” said Norton Elementary School counselor Jennifer Taylor.

Pearson helped found and was president of the Alachua County Counseling Association. She’s also written and received grants to launch programs engaging students in hands-on career activities.

When a school counselor position opened at Stephen Foster in 1996, Pearson jumped at the opportunity, fondly remembering the school’s now-retired counselor who mentored her as an intern.

“Sylvia Stuart was an inspiration to me,” Pearson said. “She knew so much about her kids.”

UF counselor education Professor Larry Loesch said he remembers Pearson as an outstanding student and highly dedicated professional when she attended UF.

“Karen has used the knowledge, skills and competencies she developed in our program to full advantage and has developed an exemplary guidance program in her school.”

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Writer

    Chan Tran, ctran@ufl.edu, (352) 392-0726, ext. 246