2024 Teacher-Counselors of the Year Recognized on Opening Day
On Sept. 20, PEP’s 400+ staff members came together at Whiskey Island Marina in Cleveland to celebrate opening day and to recognize the 2024 teacher-counselors of the year. This celebration has been a long tradition at PEP, and is a chance to reunite after a summer off (for Day Treatment Center staff), get to know new team members, and to reconnect with colleagues from the entirety of the organization. This year, the event had to be rescheduled after a storm in August forced the venue to close on the initially scheduled date. Opening Day, as a result, occurred after the start of school.
In addition to connecting with colleagues, the event is also an opportunity to recognize the contributions of some of PEP’s most dedicated and talented staff during the teacher-counselor of the year awards ceremony. At PEP, all employees, whether in the classroom or not, are considered teacher-counselors – individuals who can build meaningful and healing connections with kids. Each year PEP staff vote for a member of their team who exemplifies the attributes of a teacher-counselor, as described by Nicholas Hobbs, architect of PEP’s founding philosophy known as Re-ED. As Hobbes describes,
“a teacher-counselor is a decent adult…with a sense of the significance of time, of the usefulness of today and the promise of tomorrow; a person of hope, quiet confidence, and joy; one who has committed himself to children…”
Hobbes goes on to say that a teacher-counselor is a person who believes that through celebrating what is best in children and providing a nurturing presence, a young person who faces serious challenges can find ways to overcome and reach their potential.
In addition, PEP also recognizes two outstanding leaders with Excellence in Leadership awards, one in a service role and the other in a support role. These recipients are also nominated by their peers. Congratulations to all of the 2023 winners.
2024 Teacher-Counselors of the Year
- Creighton Johnson, PEP Chesnutt
- Ryan Stosak, PEP Hopewell
- Melissa Gilroy, PEP Phoenix
- Alyssa Clark, PEP Prentiss
- Stefan Golier, PEP Willow Creek
- Cinquella Speights, PEP Connections
- Lisa McComb, Central Office
Excellence in Leadership Service
- Thomas Porter, Clinical Supervisor, PEP Hopewell
Excellence in Leadership Support
- Hallie Gustin, Ecological Support Director, Central Office
Pictures from the Event