Hilton Head Island High School Counselor named Beaufort School Counselor of the Year

The Beaufort County School District recently named Hilton Head Island High School counselor Cheryl Dopson as its 2024 School Counselor of the Year. This year the school district also recognized Red Cedar Elementary’s Dr. Rebecca Hannahs as the Elementary School Counselor of the Year and Okatie Elementary’s Avery Eldridge as Rookie School Counselor of the Year. Candidates were nominated by their schools’ principals. They needed at least three years of experience as school counselors to be considered, except for the rookie award, whose winner is in his/her first year of employment. School Counselor of the Year is chosen by a three-person panel of district administrators who review and score the candidates based on a list of criteria and recommendations from the community.

“We’re extremely proud of Ms. Dopson for earning this recognition,” said Superintendent Frank Rodriguez. “Extraordinary school counselors like Ms. Dopson, Dr. Hannahs, and Ms. Eldridge are vital to our schools.” Dopson has been a school counselor for 22 years and the Hilton Head High School counselor for the past five years. When she received this recognition Dopson said, “This means that what I’m doing is not going unnoticed… Today shows that hard work does pay off.”

Hilton Head Island High School Impact

Hilton Head Island High School Principal Steve Schidrich said Dopson has made a noticeable impact in the school. “When she came here, the first thing she said to me is, ‘Mr. Schidrich, we need to make the counseling office the center of the school,’ and she’s done that.” Schidrich shared that feedback he receives from students and parents is that “the counseling department is a people-centered place where they receive good advice.”