Student Life Counselors

This is Judy’s second year as a Student Life Counselor and first year as a Team Leader. Born and raised in Indiana, Judy went south and attended Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, Tennessee. Judy obtained her Bachelors of Social Work in May 2023. During her last semester at Freed-Hardeman, Judy worked as a Family Support Specialist at Shenandoah K-12. There, Judy collaborated with students and their families to find community resources, provide mental health care, and support the students in their academic journeys. This fall, Judy has begun obtaining her Masters in Applied Behavior Analysis at Ball State.

In her free time, Judy enjoys hanging out with friends, listening to podcasts, and spending time with her dogs. Judy has worked a variety of jobs, making pizzas in high school, shelving books at a library, and piloting the 1859 Balloon Voyage at Conner Prairie. Judy has a love for all things outdoors, frequently going camping, hiking, and gardening. Judy is looking forward to working with her team of student life counselors and other school faculty to provide the best experience for students this academic year.

Jordyn is excited to return for her second year at the Indiana Academy, now serving as the Student Life Team Leader on second floor. Originally from Mishawaka, IN, Jordyn first joined the Academy community as a student in 2018. She later earned her degree in Elementary Education from Purdue University, where she conducted research in behavioral interventions and mathematics education.

During her first year on staff, Jordyn helped plan Prom and served as a club sponsor—experiences that deepened her commitment to student life and leadership development. In her free time, she enjoys kayaking, working on puzzles, reading, playing Mario Party, and rewatching Gilmore Girls. Having once walked the halls as a student herself, Jordyn is especially passionate about giving back to the Academy community and is eager to continue supporting students as they grow, learn, and lead.

Dawsony is excited and eager to begin her first year here at The Indiana Academy. Dawsony was born and raised in Southfield, Michigan. She attended Central Michigan University and majored in Health Sciences with a minor in Nutrition. She recently graduated with her Bachelors in Health Sciences in May 2025. During her time at Central Michigan University she worked as a Residence Life staff member for four years, serving as the Desk Manager for three of those four years. She enjoyed being a leader and being able to influence and assist the students within and outside the residential community. This led to her developing a newfound passion for leadership and community development.

Dawsony enjoys a wide variety of different activities, such as going to the gym, playing/watching sports, reading, practicing self-care, and hanging out with family and friends. She really enjoys bonding with her little brother over sports and going to the movies. Dawsony loves stepping out of her comfort zone and not being afraid to volunteer for something new. She hopes to apply this skill to create great relationships with the students here at The Indiana Academy.

Victoria is thrilled to begin her second year at the Indiana Academy. Born and raised in England, she moved to Brazil for a few years before settling in Indiana. After graduating from the Indiana Academy in 2014, Victoria went on to earn her degree in English from Arizona State University. This summer Victoria has begun obtaining her Masters in Data Science.

In her free time, Victoria enjoying traveling and exploring new cities, countries, and continents. As an avid racing fan she finds herself traveling across the globe to attend races, but she also enjoys curling up on the couch playing some cozy games, reading a good book, or writing her own. Victoria is excited to be back at the Indiana Academy and supporting students this school year.

Jenna recently graduated from Ball State University with a dual bachelor’s degree in psychology and Applied Behavior Analysis. Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Jenna is now beginning a new adventure as she pursues her master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling and Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Ball State.

Jenna is excited to be joining the residence life team and looks forward to creating a supportive and welcoming environment for all students. In her free time, she enjoys reading, spending time outdoors, watching movies, and being with friends. She also loves to travel—her most recent trip took her to Italy, where she enjoyed experiencing a new culture and seeing the world from a different perspective. Jenna is excited to be part of the Indiana Academy and is grateful for the opportunity to help students grow both academically and personally.

Michelle was born and raised in Chicago, IL. She attended South Suburban College and received her Associates of Liberal Arts Degree in 2015. She then moved on to Governors State University for one semester majoring in Speech Language Pathology. Michelle’s drive to switch gears and pursue American Sign Language stemmed from an older cousin in the family who is profoundly Deaf. In wanting to give communication access to her Hearing family, Michelle completed one year in MacMurray College’s ASL program and then transferred to Columbia College Chicago and completed her remaining 3 years in their ASL program. While attending Columbia, Michelle had the incredible opportunity of studying at Gallaudet University in Washington D.C., the world’s only college for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students. She became immersed in Deaf culture and the Deaf community to become an advocate and ally for her cousin. Michelle graduated from Columbia College Chicago in 2021 with her Bachelor’s degree in American Sign Language-English Interpretation. Michelle worked as an ASL interpreter for a little under 2 years, interpreting for Deaf junior high and high school students. At the same time, Michelle decided to return to Governors State University to pursue her Master’s degree in Communication, Media and Performance and graduated in May 2025.

While studying for her MA degree, Michelle was heavily involved on campus, holding positions such as President of Black Student Union for 2 years, Vice President of Music Company, a member of Student Activities Council, among many others. Michelle brings her expertise in leadership, programming, working in and around college campuses/communities, and with a variety of diverse student populations. Michelle has lived on 3 different college campuses, so she understands the joys and challenges of being away from home and living cohesively with others. Michelle is excited to serve as an example to this group of students while she assists them in personal growth, life skills, and mentorship.

Alicia graduated from Miami University in Ohio with a major in Education Studies. She was raised in her hometown of Harrison, OH all the way until she attended Miami University. During her third year at Miami, Alicia earned the opportunity to study abroad in London for a semester. This further enhanced her love for British culture and gave her a new perspective on life.

She is excited to continue being a part of the residence life team, filled with individuals who share her passion for supporting students on their path to receiving a higher education. Alicia’s free-time usually consists of reading, shopping and playing video games like her favorite, Fortnite. She is an avid thrifter and vinyl collector, with a deep passion for music and animation. Alicia is thrilled to be a part of the Indiana Academy and is most grateful to be able to aid and serve the incredible students of the academy.

Wayne is excited to begin his second year as a Student Life Counselor at the academy. Originally from Trenton, NJ, he moved to the Midwest during high school to support an elderly relative and chose to remain in the state to pursue a degree in English with a concentration in Creative Writing at The Ohio State University. Before joining the academy, Wayne worked within the residential side of Sorority and Fraternity Life at Ohio State. He has drawn on that experience to help students navigate the challenges of residential life on a college campus and to provide guidance on making a smooth transition from the academy to college.

Outside of his role, two passions tend to occupy most of Wayne’s time: music, whether he is writing it or listening to it, and writing, both creative and journalistic. Beyond those, he enjoys watching sports and the occasional anime. Wayne is eager to continue contributing to the academy and supporting its students in any way he can.

Vincent is beginning his fifth school year at the Academy as a Student Life Counselor on the fourth floor. Vincent was born in Chicago and raised in Fort Wayne, IN. As a graduate of the Academy (class of 2008), Vincent has experience as both a student and an SLC. As an SLC, Vincent has sponsored clubs including the Latinx Student Union, the Cozy Gaming Club, and Japan Club, in addition to other smaller student-led clubs. Vincent has also acted as the International/NECP SLC and as PA Advisor, a role which he will once again serve in this school year.

Vincent attended Purdue University Fort Wayne, earning BS and MS degrees in mathematics. During his time there as a graduate student, Vincent briefly taught algebra first as a graduate teaching assistant, and eventually as an adjunct faculty member. As a former math teacher, and as someone who has received much formal education in math, Vincent hopes to be available to help Academy students with any math-related woes as circumstances allow.

Vincent’s hobbies include playing Smash Bros., rhythm games, and role-playing video games, making origami, tinkering with small electronics and retro games, and watching anime. Vincent is grateful to the Academy and its students for making his experience as an SLC worthwhile and he hopes to work productively toward assisting as many Academites as he can as they strive for continued personal and academic success this year.

This is Emma’s second semester as a Student Life Counselor (SLC) at the Indiana Academy. She grew up in Pendleton, Indiana before earning a B.S. in public relations from Ball State University in 2019.

Until last year, she lived and worked in downtown Indianapolis as a copywriter. Now back to her roots on Ball State’s campus, Emma enjoys helping Academites navigate school and young adult life. In her spare time, she enjoys reading fiction and non-fiction, creative writing and listening to a range of music.

Jackson is eager to start his first year at the Indiana Academy! Jackson was born and raised in southern Indiana where he attended Pike Central before graduating from the Indiana Academy in 2021. In 2025, Jackson graduated from Ball State with Honors and a Bachelors in English (Creative Writing) and Philosophy. While at Ball State, Jackson worked as a Resident Assistant for 3 years. This job allowed him to work with incoming students, navigating the exciting and stressful realities of college. Watching the residents become more comfortable, confident, and independent strengthened Jackson’s passion for helping and teaching students. This led Jackson back to the Academy where he is excited to help foster and lead a new community of Academy students.

Jackson engages in many activities. He is an avid reader of classics and fantasy, a movie-nerd, a music lover, and enjoys playing cards, boardgames, and video games. He likes going out and laughing with his family and friends. Jackson hopes to someday live and study in Europe for a short time before moving back and pursuing his dream career of writing novels. Jackson looks forward to having a great year with the staff and students at the Academy!

Archer is looking forward to his fourth full year working with students as the Student Life Counselor on first floor. He grew up in Ukraine and Mozambique, with brief stints in Maryland and Goshen, Indiana. After attending the Indiana Academy as a student, he returned to Goshen to graduate in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in English, Communication, and Writing from Goshen College. That passion for stories, people, and ideas led him back to the Indiana Academy, inspired by former teachers like Richard Willis.

Archer enjoys creative activities and moonlights as an amateur writer, game dev, and handyman. When not working on a project or dreaming up ways to get students involved, he can be found reading historical documents (for absurd, epic tales) and fantasy/sci-fi (to learn about the real world). After growing up across the globe, Archer also enjoys travel and dreams of sleeping face down on a hostel bed in as many countries as possible. With twin passions for the process and the people, he’s eager to see this year’s crop of students learn and live!