Conversations and Solutions in School Counseling Webinar Series

Trish Hatch, PhD, is Professor Emeritus at San Diego State University (SDSU). As President and CEO of Hatching Results, LLC, Dr. Hatch leads a team of award-winning school counseling professionals who provide professional learning and consultation to school districts and organizations across the country. She is co-author of the ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs(ASCA, 2003; 2005), a seminal document in the profession, and Evidence-Based School Counseling: Making a Difference with Data-Driven Practices(Dimmitt, Carey, & Hatch, 2007).Dr. Hatch is also the best-selling author of The Use of Data in School Counseling: Hatching Results for Students, Programs, and the Profession(2013), and co-authored three other best-selling books based on its concepts. These texts, which focus on implementing elementary and secondary school counseling programs, are used throughout the world in the preparation and professional development of school counselors. A former school counselor, site and central office administrator, she has received multiple national awards, including ASCA’s Administrator of the Year award and its highest honor, the Mary Gehrke Lifetime Achievement award. Well regarded within the profession as a passionate advocate and national leader, Dr. Hatch served as a consultant and advisor on school counseling and educational issues for the Obama Administration and the US Department of Education. Most recently she published Pilots, Passengers, Prisoners & Hijackers: An Educator’s Guide to Handling Difficult People While Moving Forward (2018), derived from nearly 30+ years of experience working in and with school districts

Whitney Triplett is a mission driven, servant leader with a passion for promoting equity, access, and the success of all students through the intentionality of transformative, student-centered, data-informed, comprehensive school counseling. Currently the Director of Professional Development for Hatching Results, Whitney trains school counselors and administrators across the nation on designing, implementing, evaluating, and improving their school counseling programs. Previously at Chicago Public Schools, Whitney supported the district’s 850+ school counselors and college and career coaches while serving on the board for the Illinois School Counselor Association and instructing school counseling students at Loyola University Chicago. It was through these roles that she was recognized in 2018 as the statewide School Counseling Advocate of the Year for Illinois. Having earned RAMP recognition in 2011, Whitney is a former Lead RAMP Reviewer for the American School Counselor Association and contributed to the development of numerous ASCA Position Statements. As a school counselor, Whitney received a Counselor Leadership Award and an Oppenheimer Recognition Award for her collaborative work in raising the Freshman On Track rate at her school, as well as for the development of various tools for easily progress monitoring student attendance, behavior, and achievement. An Education Pioneers alum, Whitney is passionate about school reform to the end that ALL students in the nation have equitable access to a high-quality education, including a comprehensive school counseling program!

Terri Tchorzynski is a school counselor at the Calhoun Area Career Center (CACC) in Battle Creek, MI, and was named the 2017 National School Counselor of the Year. In Terri’s 9 years as a school counselor, her team has been recognized at both the state and national level. The Michigan Department of Education(MDE) recognized the CACC for exemplary practices in college/career readiness and was the second school in Michigan to be honored as a Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP).Terri has been named a Top Presenter for MDE’s Career and Technical Education Conference, serves as a keynote speaker and offers counselor workshops around the US, and is a national trainer for Advance CTE

Becky Love is a Counseling Coordinator leading the Reach Higher Shasta Counseling Initiative in Shasta County, CA. Becky’s career in education spans 30 years and includes teaching Special Education (6–8) and General Education (9–12), School Counseling(9–12), athletic coaching (9–12), and Tier I Administration. Her leadership experiences at the site, district, and county level have afforded Becky the opportunity to collaborate with a wide array of educators and stakeholders with varying perspectives and motivations. Becky’s extensive background in athletics has enabled her to build an exceptional skill set in analyzing, scaffolding, teaching, coaching and supporting others as they strive to acquire new skills. Becky has presented at the National School Counseling Leadership Conference, National Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) Professional Learning Institute (PLI), and Northern California’s California Association of School Counselors (CASC) Conference. This year, Becky became an Adjunct Faculty Member at National University and will be teaching the Community & Engagement course for the Tier I Administrative Credential.

Michael Farrell is the Supervisor of Student Services at Fort Smith Public Schools in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Farrell received his BA and M.Ed. from the University of Houston and his Ed.D. from the University of Arkansas. In his career he has worked as a professional teacher and school counselor for students in grades 9–12. He served as Director of ALE (7–12 Alternative Education), as well as Assistant Principal–HS and Principal (10–12)–Junior High (7–9).

Gail Draper currently serves as the Director of Counseling for Elkhart Community Schools. She oversees the comprehensive counseling program for the district and serves as a part of the district leadership team. She began as a Counselor at Central High School where she also served as the Department Chair for many years. In 2014, Gail helped to build an Early College/Dual Credit program for ECS at both of their High Schools. They were endorsed as model Early College schools by the Center for Excellence in Leadership of Learning for the state of Indiana in 2017. To date more than 15,000 students have earned a total of 47,000 dual credits as a part of that program. This year Gail finished her administrative license from Bethel University. Gail and her husband live in Elkhart. They have three children and four grandchildren.

Renee’ Cocanower currently serves the Concord Community School district as the Director of Secondary Education, a position that she has held since 2011. This work includes the coordination of the school counselors and social workers in the district. Prior to that time, she served as Associate Principal at Concord High School for three years and Director of Student Services at Concord High School for six years. English teaching experience includes six years at Concord High School and three years at Penn High School. Mrs. Cocanower earned her bachelor’s degree in secondary education/English at Indiana University South Bend in 1991, her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction at Indiana Wesleyan University in 1997, and her administrator’s license from Indiana University South Bend in 2000. A lifelong member of the Concord community, Mrs. Cocanower resides in Elkhart, IN, with her husband. She enjoys spending time with her two sons, their wives, and her three grandchildren.

Vanessa Gomez, Ed.D., is the Coordinator of Student, Community, Personnel Support in San Jacinto Unified School District where she oversees the development and implementation of an award winning comprehensive school-counseling program, which was the recipient of the Golden Bell Award sponsored by the California School Board Association and the Riverside Model of Excellence Award. Vanessa has 25 years of experience as an educator. She has been a school counselor at all levels, including alternative education. During her career Vanessa has experience in developing and implementing comprehensive, data-driven school counseling programs, creating and implementing Student Assistance Programs, she co-created the New Insight Group curriculum and has a vast experience with crisis response counseling including creating and designing suicide prevention protocols, and implementing Trauma Informed approaches in schools. Vanessa earned her doctorate degree from San Diego State University and completed her dissertation study on implementing Trauma Informed Approaches in Schools. Vanessa is also the co-author of Hatching Results for Secondary School Counselors. Vanessa has served as the president of the California Association of School Counselors. For nine years Vanessa served as an adjunct faculty at San Diego State University in the School Counseling and School Psychology department. In 2020, Vanessa was awarded the Student Services Administrator of the Year by Western Riverside County Association of School Managers, in 2011 Vanessa was awarded the Most Influential Faculty award. She was also the recipient of the American School Counselor Association’s 2009 top 10-school counselors. Vanessa enjoys providing local, state, and National trainings on implementing comprehensive school counseling programs, Student Assistance Programs, New Insight curriculum, Developmental Assets, Trauma Informed Approaches, and Crisis Response.