Meet Our Counselors
I am the Grammar School Counselor at the Academy, which means I get to work with our littlest Warriors in grades TK-6. I love interacting with the kids and watching them grow and develop throughout their years here! My passion and main role is to spark social, emotional, and spiritual growth in our students. We believe that educating students emotionally and socially is as important as academic development as we seek to develop servant leaders and passionate followers of Christ. With this end in mind, classroom counseling topics throughout the year include friendship and social skills, conflict resolution, emotional awareness, goal setting, character education (responsibility, honesty, sportsmanship, etc.), study skills/organization, and coping skills for specific issues such as anxiety or anger.
Some of my other roles include standardized test preparation and administration, meeting with individual students, counseling referrals, educational/psychological assessment referrals, and parent-teacher conferences as needed. In my nine years here, it has been amazing to watch how the Academy has grown and changed. I look forward to seeing how God will continue to use the school and our students in the future!
Please address concerns regarding grammar school students with homeroom teachers first, they will refer to the counselor as needed.
I have joined the Upper School team as the Morning Counselor, with my main focus on 7th through 9th graders. I get the privilege to love on these students and hear their hearts. When they are struggling with challenges, whether at school or home, my hope is that they feel welcome to talk to me. It is my passion to share the hope of Jesus Christ with every student. I want them to know how much they are loved by their Creator God. When students (or anyone for that matter) truly know how much they are passionately loved by God, it changes everything. Outlook on life from a biblical worldview sets a trajectory toward excellency in every area of life. I want our students to know who they are in Christ and recognize how they are uniquely gifted for serving him (Eph. 2:10). The Academy is so special! We care for our students’ well-being, both academically and spiritually. If you want your student to come talk to me, please reach out. I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve alongside the best teachers and staff and getting to love on our students!
Fortunately, I get the pleasure of working with most of the students in the upper school as the Upper School Counselor at the Academy. I work closely with middle school students as they navigate their way in the upper school. It is a pleasure walking with students as they transition and steer into their high school career path. Part of my time spent with students is to support and strengthen their academic, social, and career skills. This may include building skills like time management. I love seeing when our talented students find new ways to be successful!
My goal is to help students discover their God given gifts, talents, and abilities. My passion is for students to feel valued and grow in their identity in Christ! It is exciting to see students mature into lifelong learners and servant leaders. We work on building relationships and personal and servant leadership, especially in our learning and leading classes. I support all students through measurable goals and plans. Through collaborating with teachers and families, we hope students will be successful and healthy personally, academically and emotionally. As a team, we emphasize the hopes and plans that each student has for the future, and bring those into their daily work and walk!
EMAIL michelle dodD
As the College Counselor at Whitesburg Christian Academy, my main focus is to work with the juniors and seniors as they begin to explore colleges and tackle the college search. It is so fun to watch them get excited about what is out there and all of the possibilities that their future can hold. When they become seniors, we get very serious about the application process and hone in on scholarship opportunities. My goal is to empower them to take advantage of everything at their fingertips. My passion has always been working with high school students because of their enthusiasm and my kids at the Academy are no different. We laugh, have a good time, and work very hard! One of my other roles is to place each of the seniors in a semester-long internship in a career of their choice. The senior internships allow them to get hands-on experience in the real world which is invaluable as they enter into post-secondary education. Our goal at the Academy is to graduate life-long learners that are prepared to enter the next phase of life and I am blessed to be a part of it every day!