After 10 years in the MHS counseling department, Jennifer Akins has been chosen as McKinney ISD’s new director of guidance and counseling, a position vacated earlier this year when previous director P.J. Holland announced her retirement in December. Akins is regarded as smart, meticulous, organized, possesses outstanding counseling skills and will be a true asset for all counselors and students in MISD.
After earning bachelor’s degrees in neuroscience and psychology from the University of Texas at Dallas in 1999, Akins began her career in education as a teacher at MHS. In 2006, she completed her Master of Education in School Counseling at Dallas Baptist University and moved into the MHS counseling department. By 2011, she had been chosen as the lead counselor for that campus.
“Counselors fill a unique role in the school setting. They help students meet personal and social development goals, sustaining students in achieving academic success and encouraging students to purse their dreams. They also provide assistance to administrators, teachers and other staff as they strive to meet the individual needs of their students.” – Jennifer Akins
In addition to her work with students on campus over the past 10 years, Akins has been involved in a host of other professional endeavors to fill out her already busy schedule. In 2011, she completed the requirements to become a licensed professional counselor and started a private practice.
Akins has served on numerous district level committees, and her expertise has been called upon through speaking engagements at local professional development sessions as well as state and national conferences. Akins also designed and taught a summer college and career readiness course for five years at the Texas Governor’s School at the University of North Texas.
This past November, Akins and fellow MHS Counselor Dr. Jeff Cranmore earned the prestigious 2015 Texas Counseling Association Outstanding Research Award for their work in the area of college and career planning.
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