Career Experience
Counselor Education Adjunct Instructor
Northeastern Illinois University
Chicago, IL
January 2021 – present
Adjunct Instructor in the Counselor Education Department:
Group Counseling
Trauma and Crisis Counseling
Advanced Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Supervision of Counselors-in-Training (CITs)
College Success Instructor
College of Lake County
Grayslake, IL
January 2021 – August 2021
Support students in making the transition to college life and getting oriented to the college environment.
Students receive instruction in the following areas:
Introduction to College Life
Growth Mindset
Accessing Resources and Getting Connected
College Culture
Goal Setting, Time Management, and Organization
Success Strategies: Academic, Personal, and Career
Financial Literacy
Advocacy
Diversity and Human Relations
Student Development Counselor
College of Lake County
Grayslake, IL
June 2019 – May 2021
Support students in making the transition to college life and getting oriented to the college environment. I work with students to develop an academic plan, to select appropriate classes and to learn strategies for success in school through individual meetings, workshops and classes.
Counsel through various techniques including psychoeducation to advise students about academic and personal success strategies related to time/stress management, motivation, interpersonal skills, maximizing potential, goal setting, self-awareness, values clarification, study skills, test-taking techniques and other strategies for becoming a better student.
Advise in career counseling, used to guide students through the process of choosing a major and/or career.
Instructor for Personal Development courses including: Becoming a Successful College Student and Exploring Diversity and Human Relations
Member of the Teaching Team, a Counseling Faculty group tasked with duties related to data-driven curriculum and instruction, Academic Department Review, and creating goals and outreach related to instruction and student success.
Clinical Counselor
Heartland Alliance
Chicago, IL
Aug. 2018-Nov. 2018
Managed a caseload of unaccompanied minors in a residential facility.
Created and facilitated social-emotional and psychoeducational clinical groups.
Offered culturally competent and trauma-informed individual and group counseling services.
Assessed, planned and supplemented the client’s current level of functioning through developmental and age-appropriate psychosocial assessments.
Completed, maintained and documented all client information in the case file including UC Assessments, risk assessments, Individual Service Plans, goals, DAP case notes, discharge summaries, and incident reports.
Acted as client advocate to coordinate required services or to resolve crisis situations.
Accurately completed in a timely manner all necessary forms, case records and statistical reports.
Provided intense advocacy, crisis intervention, counseling and problem solving in a variety of areas for clients.
Established and maintained therapeutic and professional relationships with clients to facilitate the receipt of services.
Provided discharge plans for clients in order to assist with the client’s aftercare needs.
Participated and contributed in regular supervision meetings, team meetings, in house training sessions and conferences.
Counseling Internship
Maine West High School
Des Plaines, IL
Aug. 2017 – May 2018
Managed a specific caseload of about 35 students with a variety of social-emotional health and well - being, academic and career-focused goals. Additionally, aided about 100 additional students with other various needs.
Facilitated social-emotional group sessions in the areas of first-generation college counseling and self-esteem.
Participated in IEP and 504 meetings and case management.
Presented on the Signs of Suicide Prevention Program, implemented and scored the Brief Screen for Adolescent Depression (BSAD), and followed-up with students if their score warranted a depression/suicide risk assessment.
Participated in and administered threat assessments.
Helped with the district’s college fair.
Assisted the counseling department with organization, set up, and distribution during the PSAT.
Registered students for classes; assisted in schedule changes.
Presented college and career information to sophomore, junior, and senior groups using NAVIANCE and other related materials.
Used NAVIANCE to assist students with college plans and decisions, during individual post-secondary meetings with students.
Assisted students with their FAFSA during financial aid workshops.
Assisted students in developing their resumes, college applications, personal statements and scholarship essays.
Presented, implemented, and scored the O*NET interest profiler on students requiring additional help in choosing classes related to future college majors and/or career choices. Discussed the RIASEC scores and careers associated with/recommended based on the received three-letter code.
English Teacher
Palatine High School
Palatine, IL
June 2006 – August 2018
Experience teaching the following classes: AP Literature and Comp – 4 years; senior composition classes – 12 years; junior English classes – 4 years; freshmen English classes – 11 years; developmental classes – 5 years; ESL classes – 2 years.
Proficient in writing and teaching MLA and APA styles.
Taught in a 1:1 iPad program/school.
Used various LMSs to instruct including: Schoology, Google classroom, Remind, Turnitin.com, and NoRedInk.
Used online grading systems including Infinite Campus, Blackboard, Desire2Learn, and Aspen.
Piloted and developed curriculum for a sheltered ESL/English class to help transition ESL students into mainstream English classes to improve their success rate.
Piloted and developed curriculum for a college-level course in conjunction with Harper College English professors, designed to remediate and improve lower level reading, writing and non-cognitive skills of students who have a desire to go to college, but are receiving low standardized test scores. This class was part of a district wide initiative to help students, especially those from underrepresented groups, transition to college with more success.
Sponsored the Cultural Awareness Club and the school’s newspaper.
PLATO Teacher
East Aurora High School
Aurora, IL
August 2005 - June 2006
Taught two English, math, and science classes on a computer-based program called PLATO.
Developed and implemented new curriculum in the program for a classroom of repeating freshmen (about 40 students).
Trained as an ACCESS tester and helped to test our 300+ ESL students.