Counseling Corner: Willowbrook Guidance Department receives two national awards

The Willowbrook Guidance Department recently received two exciting national awards! See more information below.

Attachment & Trauma Network’s “2020 Touching Trauma At Its Heart: Educator Award”

Willowbrook Director of Guidance Dana Whittaker and Dean of Students Curtis Tate (pictured above) recently received the Attachment & Trauma Network’s “2020 Touching Trauma At Its Heart: Educator Award.”

They were honored on Feb. 18 during the Creating Trauma-Sensitive Schools Conference in Atlanta (pictured above). Whittaker and Tate were recognized for their work in spearheading the Black Educators Network of Suburban Chicago (BENSC). That network began in spring 2015 as an avenue for suburban black educators to share best practices and resources to support black students as those pupils navigate their education and career journey. With the ever-changing needs of students who attend suburban schools in the Chicago area, the BENSC was created to help students and educators succeed.

The network is comprised of Whittaker, Tate and Guidance Counselor Melisa Williams-Rivera from Willowbrook, as well as Dr. LeVar Ammons from Oak Park and River Forest, Broderick Booth from Homewood-Flossmoor and Farrah Ellison-Moore from Plainfield East. The group meets twice a year (and is looking to gather quarterly in the future) to discuss issues impacting black students and topics such as how to improve the education system for black educators. The group welcomes other educators to join the network. For questions or more information, e-mail Bensc.committee@gmail.com.

For more information about the Attachment & Trauma Network, go to https://www.attachmenttraumanetwork.org.

2019-20 College Board Counselor Recognition Program

Willowbrook Guidance Counselor Cindy Zamora-Failla (pictured above) was recently named to the 2019-20 College Board Counselor Recognition Program. Zamora-Failla was nominated for her exemplary work as a professional school counselor who is innovative, results-oriented and committed to student success and opportunity.

As a recipient of this honor, Zamora-Failla received a letter of recognition and a lapel pin from College Board during National School Counseling Week, which took place from Feb. 3 to 7.

For more information about the College Board Counselor Recognition Program, go to https://tinyurl.com/CollegeBoardAward.