Erica Lewis of Coventry Oak Elementary is the state’s School Counselor of the Year, and she will represent Kentucky at a nationwide celebration next February in Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, she is in the running for the American School Counseling Association’s 2023 National Counselor of the Year award. This past September, the Kentucky association had selected Lewis as its top elementary counselor, and she subsequently received the overall state-level honor this spring.
“When I teach classroom lessons, my goal is to prepare the students for their future -- giving them the tools they need to problem solve, show empathy to others, ask for help when they need it, and manage their emotions,” Lewis said. “I want them to be ready to take on any situation that may come their way.”
Lewis just completed her 16th year in Fayette County Public Schools (FCPS), including the past six as a counselor at Coventry Oak. There, she also serves as the building assessment coordinator and sponsors the Embracing You Girls group. Lewis previously taught kindergarten and first grade at Ashland Elementary and spent one year at Booker T. Washington Elementary.
A Lexington native, Lewis earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a master’s degree in Elementary Education at the University of Louisville. She later received a master’s in School Counseling from Eastern Kentucky University.
“I absolutely love what I do and working with all students,” Lewis said. “I am an advocate and try to make sure that their needs are met socially, emotionally, mentally, and academically.”
Did you know? National guidelines recommend schools have at least one counselor, social worker, or mental health professional for every 350 students. However, the ratios in every FCPS school are better than one for every 250 students – setting us above the national standard in our commitment to students’ mental health.
Contact: Heather Bushelman at the Kentucky Department of Education, (502) 892-6555 ext. 4164
Posted June 16, 2022
