NATIONAL SCHOOL COUNSELOROF THE YEAR FINALISTS |
Two Florida School Counselors of the Year have gone on to become finalists for the national School Counselor of the Year award presented by the American School Counselor Association. |
| CARMEN LARSON, Ph.D., C-AAIS2025 SCOY FINALIST (2024 FL SCOY)Dr. Carmen Larson is a practicing school counselor and adjunct counseling professor. She received her Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision in 2004 from the University of Florida. Dr. Larson has worked as a school counselor at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Her areas of specialization include counseling children and adolescents, using play media and canine-assisted interventions, legal and ethical issues in school counseling practice, and integrating technology in school counseling programs to improve data-driven practice. Dr. Larson is the 2024 Florida School Counselor of the Year and one of the Top 5 Finalists for the 2025 ASCA School Counselor of the Year. She is a Certified School Counselor in Florida, a past Board Member for the Florida School Counselor Association (FSCA) (2011-2020; 2022-2024), and a two-time past Board Chair for FSCA (2022-2023; 2015-2016). She has presented at numerous local, regional, and national conferences. |
| JOSHUA NELSON2023 SCOY FINALIST (2022 FL SCOY)Joshua Nelson is a practicing school counselor from Duval County Public School. He received his Masters in Counselor Education in 2016 from the University of North Florida. Joshua has worked as a school counselor at the elementary level and prior to worked as an elementary school teacher. His areas of specialization include working with students who have experienced trauma by being a Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) Practitioner, using data to create systemic change, working with families and community partners to bridge the gap between home and school, and leading the work to create a Recognized ASCA Model Program [RAMP] (2020). Mr. Nelson is the 2022 Florida School Counselor of the Year and one of the Top 5 Finalists for the 2023 ASCA School Counselor of the Year. He is a Certified School Counselor in Florida, a Board Member for the Florida School Counselor Association (FSCA), and serves as a mentor for novice school counselors . He has presented at numerous local, regional, and national conferences. |
