School Counselor Workshop

Dr. Cassady is the director of the Academic Anxiety Resource Center (sites.bsu.edu/aarc) and the Research Design Studio (sites.bsu.edu/rds). He’s been at Ball State since 1999. His areas of expertise include test anxiety, human learning, teacher education, and research design.

Dr. Megan Kirk is a dedicated school psychologist responsible for managing mental health services and supports within the Vigo County School Corporation. Her career path began in a residential treatment facility where she worked with young individuals who had experienced severe trauma. This experience fueled her desire to become a therapist, assisting youth and their families in addressing their mental health challenges. Driven by a commitment to early intervention and prevention, Dr. Kirk returned to school to pursue a career as a school psychologist. Her doctoral research centered on identifying students at risk of social-emotional and behavioral issues. This focus on early identification remains a core passion in her current role. Dr. Kirk’s expertise extends to professional publications and national and state conferences, where she has presented on various topics, including trauma, social-emotional learning, and school-based mental health practices. Her work underscores the importance of supporting the mental health needs of youth in educational settings. In addition to her role as an adjunct instructor at Indiana State University, Dr. Kirk holds certifications as a Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructor and an ACE Interface Master Trainer.

Laurie is an experienced school counselor and district leader in the Vigo County School Corporation. She has over 21 years of experience working with students, parents, and colleagues on various aspects like mental health, academics, and interpersonal conflicts. Laurie’s primary role involves coaching and supporting school counselors to develop effective, ASCA-aligned counseling programs. Additionally, she serves as an adjunct instructor at Indiana State University. Throughout her career, Laurie has received multiple awards, published an article, and presented at various educational events. She holds a Bachelor of Social Work, a Master’s in School Counseling, and a Master’s in Building-Level Administration, all from Indiana State University. Laurie is also a certified Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructor and an active member of several educational associations.

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, she is responsible for setting the direction of Pathway Opportunities for students as it relates to Graduation Pathways and Locally Created Pathways, Regional Work-Based Learning Opportunities and Support, Dual Credit Credentialing for School Staff to Increase Student Access to College Coursework, Postsecondary Credentialing for Students and Moving the Terminal End Point of High School Beyond the Graduation Stage. She is also responsible for the support and guidance in the area of High Abilities, Alternative Educational Programming, Homeless Children and Youth, and Homeschool Initiatives.

A walk through our schools or a drive through our students’ neighborhoods produces observations more readily seen from the surface. What lies below the surface? How does what is unseen impact systems, collaborations and outcomes? Project Leadership, a nonprofit organization, helps ready students for their educational and career paths after high school, shares replicable lessons learned from its place-based school partnerships and successful strategies for serving students that go beyond a one-size-fits-all approach. Tammy Pearson will discuss how:

• Full-time Project Leadership (PL) Career Coach is embedded in a local high school’s counseling department
• PL FAFSA+ services expand to meet new state requirements for FAFSA completion.
• PL Middle School C&C Curriculum assists schools in providing more robust content for required Preparing for College & Career Courses.
• PL High School C&C Curriculum featuring local students provides meaningful content for advisory/homeroom periods that helps ready students for work experiences and post-high school plans.

Tammy Pearson serves as the director of Project Leadership, a non-profit organization serving Delaware and Grant counties that encourages students to complete high school and post-secondary educations. Pearson joined Project Leadership in 2007 after working 16 years as a journalist at community newspapers in Indiana. Under Pearson’s leadership, Project Leadership has become increasingly focused on bridging the educational gap between affluent and low-income youths and on providing youths with needed tools to complete post-secondary degrees or credentials. Pearson leads Project Leadership through a desire to design and implement strong community programming that has meaning, believing that any new undertaking must have a purpose that will make a difference – the kind that creates positive change for families in our communities.