Summit High School Counselor Named 2023 Union County Counselor of the Year
Mr. Petrillo has been a school counselor at Summit High School for more than 20 years. During his time, he has provided exceptional service to students, families, staff, and community members. Mr. Petrillo remains committed to professional development, staying current, and meeting the changing needs of Summit students. He is the first to volunteer for events, propose new ideas, and evaluate current practices to see how we can improve. As a veteran counselor, he is a model and mentor for all who work with him.
“As a Director, you can only hope to have a counselor like Mr. Petrillo on your staff,” said Laura Kaplan, Director of School Counseling for Summit Public Schools. “He challenges me every day to think outside the box and encourages us to continue to provide the best service possible to the students and families we support. He is the most deserving of this recognition.”
This year, Mr. Petrillo proposed a new initiative to support students as they prepare for course selection. At the end of January, counselors presented to all ninth through eleventh-grade students on the course selection process. Mr. Petrillo felt that counseling staff could provide an additional layer of support, and organized an information table during the lunch block for students to come to ask questions. In addition to this initiative, Mr. Petrillo is responsible for organizing a Community Service Fair, and establishing a centralized space and consistent format for our extracurricular advisors to advertise their clubs and activities. He also spearheaded the creation of a counselor roundtable with representatives from surrounding high schools that has been meeting consistently for the past nine years.
School counselors are nominated by their colleagues and are selected by their own county’s School Counselor Associations for this award. The award honors the professionals who devote their careers to serving as advocates – and often lifesavers – for the nation’s students. Candidates are selected for the Counselor of the County Award at their county-level school counselor associations. They are selected because of their ability to deliver an effective school counseling program which focuses on academic development, career counseling, and personal/social support. They further distinguish themselves by proving to be leaders of systemic change, advocates for students, and collaborative professionals who seek the success of the “whole” student in school and in life. For more specific information on this association, visit: www.njsca.org.