FSCA NEWS

ASCA Announces 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award Winners

For immediate release – May 31, 2007

ALEXANDRIA, VA – The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) is proud to announce the two recipients of its Mary E. Gehrke Lifetime Achievement Award. This award is presented by the ASCA Governing Board to school counseling professionals who've made a significant contribution to the profession over the course of their careers. The 2007 recipients are Trish Hatch, Ph.D., and Judy Bowers, Ed.D. They will be recognized during a special gala at ASCA's annual conference in Denver, June 23-26, 2007.

Trish Hatch, Ph.D. is co-author of "The ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs." Now in its second edition, it has sold more than 43,000 copies. Currently the director of the Center for Excellence in School Counseling and Leadership (CESCaL) and the director of the School Counseling Program at San Diego State University, Hatch is a former school counselor, site level and central office administrator over school counseling programs. She received her doctorate degree in Education: Institutional Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of California at Riverside in 2002.

Hatch is one of five appointed members of the National Panel for Evidenced-Based School Counseling Practices and has served as supervisor/postsecondary level vice president on ASCA's Governing Board. She is past president of the California state school counseling association. She was invited to serve a member of the assessment design team for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards' (NBPTS) new school counseling certification and as a national trainer for the Education Trust's Transforming School Counselor Initiative. A frequent author, keynote speaker and trainer, Hatch was awarded Administrator of the Year by the ASCA; the Jim Saum Government Relations Award inrecognition of her efforts to implement school counseling legislation in California; and the HB McDaniel Foundation Hall of Fame Award at Stanford University for exceptional contribution to the profession of counseling and guidance.

Judy Bowers, Ed.D., is co-author of "The ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs." Now in its second edition, it has sold more than 43,000 copies. After a long career with Tucson Unified School District as the director of school counseling programs, following 16 years as a site school counselor, Bowers retired last year. She continues to serve as a trainer and speaker for organizations across the country.

Bowers served as president on the 2004–2005 ASCA Governing Board and has also served as ASCA's Western regional vice president and supervisor/postsecondary level vice president. Additionally, she served as president of the Arizona School Counselor Association. In 1995, she received the Administrator of the Year award from the Arizona School Counselor Association, and in 1997 received Administrator of the Year from ASCA. She received her doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Arizona.

ASCA is a worldwide nonprofit organization based in Alexandria, Va. Founded in 1952, ASCA supports school counselors' efforts to help students focus on academic, personal/social and career development so they not only achieve success in school but are prepared to lead fulfilling lives as responsible members of society. The association provides professional development, publications and other resources, research and advocacy to nearly 21,000 professional school counselors around the globe.

ASCA Contact: Jill Cook, Assistant Director, ASCA, (703) 683-ASCA, jcook@schoolcounselor.org