School Counselor Workshop

Rachel Louise Geesa, EdD, is an Associate Clinical Professor of Educational Leadership at Ball State University. Prior to becoming a professor, Dr. Geesa was a school administrator and teacher in the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools in South Korea, Japan, and Virginia; and public schools in Indiana. Dr. Geesa’s research interests are related to school counselor-principal collaboration, integrative STEM education, doctoral mentoring programs, and comparative international education studies. In 2022, Dr. Geesa served as a co-editor of a Professional School Counseling special issue with Dr. Carol Dahir related to building social capital through school counselor-principal collaboration.

Sherri Barrow has more than 18 years of experience in business, training, and education. With the last 15 years in urban education from PK – 12th grade. She is currently a PhD Candidate in Counselor Education and Supervision program with Capella University. Her research interests include urban education, school counselors, sustaining educators personally and professionally.

Ms. Jones is a Proud School Administrator and Professional School Counselor with over twenty years of experience in the field of education. She prides herself in being a servant leader who has devoted her life to helping students find their Passion and Purpose and develop a Plan for their future.

Before joining the IDOE, she served as the Director of Post-Secondary Readiness for Indianapolis Public Schools where she oversaw college, career, and life readiness initiatives across the district. Prior to her time in IPS, she spent over twenty years in MSD of Wayne Township in various roles including School Counselor, District Equity Team Leader, Recruitment Chairperson, Home School Advisor, At Risk Counselor, and GCL New Teacher Trainer, along with many other roles and responsibilities.

In her role as IDOE Director of Student Pathways and Opportunities, she is responsible for setting the direction of Pathway Opportunities for students as it relates to Graduation Pathways and Locally Created Pathways, Work-Based Learning Opportunities, Dual Credit, Credentials of Value and Moving the Terminal End Point of High School Beyond the Graduation Stage.

Brandie Oliver is an Associate Professor at Butler University teaching in the Graduate School Counseling Program. Before Dr. Oliver’s current role, she worked most recently as a middle school counselor but also has experience at the elementary and high school levels. Brandie sees her role as a resource and support for Professional School Counselors as well as an advocate and source of positive change for all students, parents, and educators. Her specific areas of interest include social-emotional learning, restorative practices, grief and loss, and culturally responsive education. Brandie has served families at Brooke’s Place for Grieving Young People as a support group facilitator for grieving teens and also as a grief therapist for individual counseling. Dr. Oliver is a coauthor of the Indiana Department of Education’s Social-Emotional Learning Competencies. She is also one of the authors of the Suicide Prevention & Response: A Comprehensive Resource Guide for Indiana Schools, a document written in collaboration with the Indiana Department of Education in response to Indiana legislation.

Dr. Oliver has served in leadership roles in her field both at the state and national levels. She served on the Presidential Advisory Board for the American Counseling Association, as a board member of the North Central Association of Counselor Education and Supervision and held a board position for eight years on the Indiana School Counselor Association executive board. Currently, Dr. Oliver serves on the Advisory Council for the Evidence-Based School Counseling Conference.

Jerrell Cassady is Professor of Psychology and has been at Ball State since 1999. His areas of expertise include test anxiety, human learning, teacher education, and research design. He frequently works with national organizations (e.g., Smithsonian Institution, National Parks Foundation) and local school and community groups (e.g., Muncie Community Schools, Hancock County Community Foundation) to design and implement evaluation studies documenting successful educational programming in practice.