West Virginia Chamber Foundation names 2027 School Counselor of the Year finalists
July 6, 2026
Five counselors from across West Virginia are finalists for the 2027 School Counselor of the Year award.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Chamber Foundation has announced five finalists for the 2027 West Virginia School Counselor of the Year award.
The finalists are Hilary Gibson, Dabney Sheetz, Jennifer Pickett, Angguna Rowe and Miriam Mason.
They were selected from county School Counselor of the Year winners across West Virginia. The finalists represent counselors serving students at multiple grade levels and were chosen for their work supporting academic achievement, career development and social and emotional growth.
The West Virginia Chamber Foundation is partnering with the West Virginia Department of Education to recognize the finalists. State winners will be announced during the 2026-27 Champions of Learning Gala on Sept. 8, 2026, in Charleston.
The Champions of Learning recognition program was launched in 2026 to honor professional staff members in county school systems who help support the whole child.
Hilary Gibson
Hilary Gibson is a school counselor at Huntington High School in Cabell County.
Gibson has more than 10 years of experience working with students across multiple grade levels. During her seven years at Huntington High School, she has focused on building meaningful relationships with students and creating a school environment where students feel seen, known and heard.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Arts in Counseling from Marshall University.
At Huntington High School, Gibson has helped strengthen schoolwide support systems through work involving Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support. Those efforts are designed to help students access structured support as they prepare for life after high school.
Miriam Mason
Miriam Mason is a school counselor at Mylan Park Elementary School in Monongalia County.
Mason serves students in a Title I school and also works as the school’s wellness coordinator. She holds a Master of Arts in Counseling and is a licensed professional counselor, national certified counselor and certified mental health and nutrition clinical specialist.
She is also a member of the West Virginia School Counselor Association and the American School Counselor Association.
Mason uses data-informed strategies to support student outcomes in attendance, behavior and academic achievement. She also advocates for equitable access to mental health services for students.
Her comprehensive school counseling program follows the American School Counselor Association framework and uses trauma-informed practices through The Regulated Classroom model.
Outside of school, Mason provides counseling services in private practice, where she works with clients of all ages through a holistic, wellness-based approach. She also supervises graduate counseling interns from West Virginia University and mentors other counselors in Monongalia County.
Mason has presented at professional conferences and works with community partners to expand access to resources for students and families.
Jennifer Pickett
Jennifer Pickett has served as a school counselor in Marshall County since 2005.
Pickett earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Wheeling University and a Master of Arts in Community Counseling from West Virginia University.
During her counseling internship, she served as the senior high therapist for an alternative high school classroom at the Belmont County, Ohio, alternative program.
Pickett has worked with students at several schools in Marshall County before establishing long-term roots at McNinch Primary School. Her work focuses on students in their early, formative years, with an emphasis on safety, emotional regulation, character education and academic growth.
Angguna Rowe
Angguna Rowe is the school counselor at Huff Consolidated Elementary and Middle School in Wyoming County.
Rowe is a licensed professional counselor, approved licensed professional supervisor and nationally certified counselor with specialized training in clinical trauma.
Her work focuses on supporting students’ academic, social and emotional and career development through relationship-centered, evidence-based practices. She works to remove barriers to learning, strengthen attendance and engagement, support mental wellness and help students build resilience and confidence.
Rowe is also the founder of HomeTown Professional Counseling and serves as a clinical counselor at West Virginia University Medicine Behavioral Health Pavilion of the Virginias.
She earned a Master of Education in School Counseling with a clinical counseling endorsement from Liberty University and a Regents Bachelor of Arts degree with a minor in Child Development and Human Services from WVU.
Rowe also completed the Apprenticeship for Child Development Specialist through the West Virginia Department of Labor and previously studied education at Bluefield State College.
She has presented on youth mental health and student wellness at the West Virginia School Counseling Conference and the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships GEAR UP annual conference.
Dabney Sheetz
Dabney Sheetz is a 21-year veteran school counselor currently serving at Frankfort Elementary School in Mineral County.
Throughout her career, Sheetz has worked with elementary, middle and high school students, including students in alternative education settings.
She currently serves third- and fourth-grade students through classroom lessons and small-group counseling.
Sheetz earned a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science and a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in secondary social studies from Virginia Tech. She also earned a Master of Education in School Counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University.