Jefferson counselor named best in nation

When Olivia Carter left her Jackson home Friday morning, she had no clue how her day would unfold.

Carter, 32, counselor for the last five years at Cape's Jefferson Elementary, was surprised by an announcement in the school's gymnasium where a socially distanced group of students, parents, faculty, staff and administrators eagerly awaited her arrival.

A specially timed Facebook Live event by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) revealed Carter as the 2021 National Counselor of the Year.

"I'm totally in shock," said Carter, "and excited to represent the (counseling) profession in this way."

Carter was chosen by ASCA from a group of five finalists to receive the recognition.

"I know there are over 500 school districts in Missouri alone," said Cape Girardeau Public Schools superintendent Neil Glass. "It's hard to wrap your head around just how big this award is."

The national award is just one of a series of accolades Carter has received. In October, she was named Missouri State Counselor of the Year. In 2019, she was named the Southeast Missouri School Counselor Association's Elementary Counselor of the Year.

"There has been a dream here to turn (Jefferson) into a shining light within the (CGPS) district," said school board president Kyle McDonald, "(and) what happened today shows the dream is being fulfilled."

Jefferson, according to CGPS communications director Kristin Tallent, is the most racially diverse of the district's schools: 43% Black, 30% white, 17.7% multi-race and 7% Latino.

Tallent said all of Jefferson's approximately 400 students, a number that includes pupils receiving virtual learning, receive free breakfast and lunch.

Two words

As for what makes Carter so special, Jefferson's interim principal, Kate Jokerst, repeatedly used the same language to describe the married mother of two, with children aged 3 and 1.

"(Carter) is a calm and loving presence," said Jokerst, who replaced Leigh Ragsdale as leader of the school in August.

"She will always stand in that calm and loving place," she added, noting Jefferson is what she called a "trauma-sensitive" school.

"We have a lot of students with different environmental backgrounds here, and things pop up that aren't planned and (Carter) reacts with that same calm and loving approach," Jokerst said.

"We embed (Carter's) practices into the classroom because she is always meeting the kids right where they are," the principal noted.

Popular with students

Terrance Dorsey and Shamyrcal Wren, two 11-year-old fifth graders, were eager to speak about their counselor.

"When Ms. Carter had a baby and was not here, that was so disappointing because everybody really missed her, and she's been like a stepmom to me," said Wren.

"Sometimes when I'm kind of angry, Ms. Carter calms me down," added Dorsey.

Counselors are not just for the students, especially in this pandemic year of 2020.

"In this time of COVID, I really shifted into making sure our teachers are well," said Carter.

"(Carter) is helping faculty and staff to take care of themselves through teaching mindfulness techniques, breathing exercises, taking a moment for yourself and being fully aware of your thoughts, your words, your body language and your tone of voice," noted Jokerst.

"(Carter) is like a tall oak tree -- she's solid," said Jokerst.

Carter, whose husband, Adam, joined her for Friday's recognition, holds both bachelor's and master's degrees from Southeast, said she is completely sold on Jefferson Elementary.

"'J' is the place to be -- always."