Saint Rose Department of School Counseling to host annual school counseling panel

The Graduate School at The College of Saint Rose, in partnership with the New York State School Counselor Association (NYSSCA), will be sponsoring the fifth Annual School Counseling Panel for current school counseling students and anyone who might be interested in a school counseling career. The panel will be held on April 20 from 4:30 to 7 p.m. in the Carondelet Symposium of the Thelma P. Lally School of Education Building, 1009 Madison Ave in Albany.

This program will include an interview workshop, resume tips, advice from first-year counselors, and professional development opportunities.

“We are excited to partner with NYSSCA to host this event for school counseling students,” says Dr. Claudia Lingertat, professor of counseling at Saint Rose. “As the only CACREP-accredited program in the region, it’s exciting for us to be on the forefront of our field and offer this free networking and professional development opportunity to school counseling students in our region.”

Admission to the event is free, but pre-registration is required.

The panelists are:

Dianna Rumpf, School Counselor,  Scotia-Glenville Middle School: Rumpf is currently working as the 6th grade School Counselor at Scotia-Glenville Middle School. She completed her undergraduate degree at UAlbany where she majored in Psychology and Human Development. She then went on to The College of Saint Rose where she earned her MSED in School Counseling. Her favorite part of the job is working with the same group of students as they move up through middle school. This allows her the opportunity to develop strong relationships with her students and watch as they mature and find their voice over three years.

Janelle Sipowicz, Director of Counseling/SEL, South Glens Falls Central School District: Sipowicz is in her 2nd year as the Director of Counseling/ Social & Emotional Learning, a newly created position to focus on the mental health of our students and to support the Social Workers, School Counselors & School Psychologists within the district. Prior to this position, she spent 9 years at Queensbury Union Free School District as a High School Counselor and K-12 Counseling Department Chairperson. Sipowicz has continued to maintain a connection to The College of Saint Rose’s Counseling program throughout the years serving as an instructor, member of their Advisory Council, and a panelist for the continued support of our professional school counseling programs.  

Jaymes White, Secondary Assistant Principal of Tamarac Secondary School: White is currently in his third year as an Assistant Principal at Tamarac Secondary School. Prior to becoming an Assistant Principal in 2020, White spent 6 years as a school counselor at the middle/high school levels in various roles and responsibilities.  White has served on the executive board of the New York State School Counseling Association as a Regional Governor since 2018 and also founded the state’s Counselors of Color Infinity Group in 2019. In 2019 White was also recognized by NYSSCA for the Outstanding Program, Practice, or Project Award. 

Joshua E. Moeckel, School Counselor, Duanesburg Junior and Senior High School: Moeckel is currently in his first year as a school counselor at Duanesburg Jr./Sr. High School. He works with grades 7-12 and takes on various roles. He is the AP Coordinator, assists with after school clubs and organizations, and is the Boys Cross Country and Track & Field Coach.

Kaitlyn Morhous, School Counselor, P.S.16-Troy School District: Morhous earned her B.A. in psychology at SUNY Stony Brook in 2012, and worked in client relations for eight years post graduation. Seeking a change in careers, she went on to earn an M.S. in Professional School Counseling from Russell Sage College, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kaitlyn completed her internships at Ballston Spa Middle School and Bethlehem High School. Currently, she is completing her first year as an elementary school counselor at School 16 in the Troy City School District, and working on obtaining her Certificate of Advanced Study in Professional School Counseling.

Matthew Davis, Director of Student Growth and Innovation of Shenendehowa Central Schools: Davis is currently the Director of Student Growth & Innovation at Shenendehowa Central Schools. In this role, Davis oversees school counselors, social-emotional learning, college-career-business partnerships, summer programs, and various federal grants. Prior to this role, Matt served as the Principal of Hamilton-Fulton-Montgomery BOCES Pathways in Technology Early College High School in Johnstown, as well as Assistant Principal and Social Studies teacher at Northampton County High School in North Carolina.

Dr. Rebecca DeVries, Ed.D., Director of K-12 School Counseling of Schenectady City School District: Dr. Devries has spent approximately 18 years working in urban education as a School Psychologist, and for the past 4 years as a District Administrator,  with the honor of having her work rooted in inclusivity, equity and access for ALL children. Dr. Devries values shared decision making, and above all else building strong collaborative relationships with families, students and colleagues in order to best serve students. As the K-12 School Counseling Director, Dr. Devries has provided oversight to the Schenectady City School District, K-12 Comprehensive School Counseling Plan within which she has focused on the elimination of barriers in order to provide a rigorous education for all students. Dr. Devries also helps co-lead the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) work in the Schenectady City School District, and provides leadership and oversight, K-12 for all Social and Emotional (SEL) Curriculum.

Tricia Clark, M.Ed., CAS,  School Counselor, Shenendehowa School District: Clark (M.Ed., CAS) earned her degree as a Professional School Counselor at the State University of New York at Buffalo and a B.A. in Secondary Education and English from Niagara University. In 1999, Mrs. Clark began her career as a High School Counselor in the state of Colorado. During her time there she was fortunate to have the opportunity to open Legacy High School in the Adams 12 Five Star School District. She helped to develop and create the counseling curriculum for Legacy High School utilizing the ASCA model. After moving back to New York State in 2001, Tricia acquired an Elementary School Counselor position within the Shenendehowa School District. In 2006, Clark joined the Shenendehowa High School counseling team. Beginning in 2014 the team began the work of aligning the counseling curriculum with the ASCA model and began the process of building a RAMP (Recognized ASCA Model Program) application. In 2017 the Shenendehowa Counseling, College, and Career Center was one of six schools nationally to be awarded the designation of ASCA RAMP School of Distinction. Clark is a strong advocate for student wellness and helping students to create overall balance in order to perform to their full potential academically. She believes that the role of the School Counselor is integral in student success outcomes.