Global Counsellor Awards - Shortlist

1. Global Counsellor of the Year 

This award recognises an outstanding college counsellor who has demonstrated exemplary dedication, leadership and impact in the field of international college counselling. Nominees should have a proven record of guiding students to successful and well-matched college placements, fostering a positive and supportive counselling environment, and making significant contributions to the overall success and reputation of the school's college counselling programme. The counsellor should exemplify a commitment to the professional development of their peers, innovation in counselling practices, and a genuine passion for helping students achieve their academic and career goals on a global scale. 

Shortlisted candidates: 

Augusto Neto, Brazil

Buket Ayaz, UAE

Jeffrey Neill, Brazil

Jennifer Tassell, Panama

 

2. Counsellor Community Support and Collaboration 

This award acknowledges a counsellor who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to fostering a supportive and collaborative community among fellow counsellors. Nominees should have actively engaged in mentorship, knowledge sharing, and professional development initiatives within the counsellor community. The recipient of this award should be someone who has contributed to creating a positive and collaborative atmosphere, sharing resources, best practices, and providing support to colleagues to enhance the overall effectiveness of a college counselling team in an international high school setting. Their efforts should reflect a commitment to building a strong professional network and a sense of unity among counsellors. 

Shortlisted candidates:

Augusto Neto, Brazil

Eric Laug, Singapore

Jennifer Tassell, Panama

Phillip Wenturine, Spain

3. Supporting high-achieving, low-income (HALI) students

Acknowledges a counsellor who has shown exemplary commitment to supporting high-achieving, low-income students, including demonstrating an understanding of personal circumstances, developing outreach programmes, providing tailored additional support, and evidence of successfully guiding these students in their university-application journey. 

Shortlisted candidates: 

Baman Kumar Ghimirie, Nepal

Joan Liu, Turkey

Margarete Reiff, Namibia

Rebecca Zeigler Mano,  Zimbabwe

 

4. Counsellor of the Year - Africa

Shortlisted candidates: 

Christina McDade, Ghana

DeeDee Werner, Kenya

Ketevan Maghlakelidze, South Africa

Ramiro Campos, Ethiopia

5. Counsellor of the Year - East Asia and Oceana

Shortlisted candidates: 

Claire Wilkins, Hong Kong

Jason Holly, Hong Kong

Kaleena Carter, South Korea

Ning Deng, China

 

6. Counsellor of the Year - Europe

Shortlisted candidates: 

David Tobin, Germany

Giorgi Sichinava, Georgia

Kam Stylianou, Cyrpus

Matthew Akitani, Denmark

7. Counsellor of the Year - Gulf and Central Asia

Shortlisted candidates: 

Buket Ayaz, UAE

Carmen Page, UAE

Dareen Tawil, Kuwait

Jacqueline Nottingham, Qatar

 

8. Counsellor of the Year - Latin America

Shortlisted candidates: 

Jennifer Tassell, Panama

Paola Caicedo, Colombia

Rachel Dillon, Mexico

Reggie Aguiar, Brazil

9. Counsellor of the Year - South Asia

Shortlisted candidates: 

Ajay Tayade, India

Ganesh Kempaiah, India

Sonia Soni, India

Suman Yadav, India

10. Counsellor of the Year - South East Asia

Shortlisted candidates: 

Jeremias Sampang, Indonesia

Jim Faherty, Indonesia

Samantha Caras, Philippines

Zoe Williams, Singapore

11. Diversity and Inclusion Champion

Recognises a counsellor who has shown outstanding dedication to promoting diversity and inclusion in college counselling, ensuring equitable access to resources and support for students from diverse backgrounds. 

Shortlisted candidates:

Nicole Ribeiro, Brazil

Phillip Wenturine, Spain

Rachel Doell, Switzerland

Renata Condi De Souza, Brazil

12. Rising Star of the Year

A counsellor with less than three years’ experience who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to the profession, embracing learning opportunities, and developed new solutions that can better support students and the wider counselling profession. 

Shortlisted candidates:

Joe Rogers, Holland

Shikha Singh, India

Yein Oh, China

Maryana Rodrigues, Brazil
 

13. Education Technology Supplier of the Year

Acknowledges an education technology provider who has developed innovative tools that significantly support counselling practices, enhancing communication, accessibility, and efficiency in delivering guidance services to students. 

Shortlisted candidates: 

Concourse Global

Maia Learning

Unifrog

14. Service Provider of the Year

Acknowledges an organisation that provides a service to students that, in the view of counsellors, significantly supports their preparation for higher education. This could include tuition, EdTech provision, agents, visa assistance, insurance, or any other service provided to students to assist them in the process of successfully going to university. 

Shortlisted candidates:

Duolingo

ETS TOEFL

IELTS

Pearson PTE

15. Lifetime Achievement in Counselling Award

A counsellor that has made significant contributions of outstanding significance to the counselling community and their students throughout their career. This includes showing exemplary leadership, significant efforts to make the profession more inclusive, and had a positive impact on people, organisations or communities. The winner will have demonstrated exceptional practice over a significant period of time including impact outside their primary job role. This award is for lifetime achievement, rather than a single contribution. 

Shortlisted candidates:
 

Amanda Jewell, UAE

Amy Thompson, UAE

Jose Olavo de Amorim, Brazil

Manju Sharma, India

Nayantara Handa, India