Linn-Mar High School counselor Sheryl Bass named Iowa School Counselor of the Year

MARION — Linn-Mar High School counselor Sheryl Bass has been named secondary Iowa School Counselor of the Year for helping students develop and work toward career goals.

Bass, a college and career transition counselor, is an advocate for systemic change and for historically underserved students.

She works primarily with Black and Hispanic students, those with special education plans and those who qualify for free and reduced-price lunch by helping them with post-high school plans.

Winning the award from the Iowa School Counselors Association means Bass is in the running for the National School Counselor of the Year award through the American School Counselor Association.

“You don’t always see the difference you’re making,” Bass said. “It’s cool to be recognized by fellow professionals.”

Bass began at Linn-Mar High School in 2015 as a ninth- and 10th-grade counselor before moving into her current role helping students with their future plans.

She works with close to 300 students on college applications, financial aid forms, scholarship opportunities, and job shadows, internships and apprenticeships.

“Sometimes I hear from students that they feel a lot of pressure to have made a decision, but they’re still exploring things,” Bass said. “It’s OK if you’re not 100 percent sure” what to do after high school.

Bass’ two big goal areas are to increase the number of students who file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid forms and increase the number of underserved students who go to college.

This is the percentage of Linn-Mar students who enroll in college one year after graduation, according to Iowa postsecondary readiness reports:

Bass herself went to three colleges before eventually graduating from Mount Mercy University with a degree in psychology.

“I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do, and I landed in psychology and really enjoyed learning about people and how they interact with others,” Bass said.

After graduating, Bass worked with at-risk youth who had been through the foster care system. It was a “taxing” job, Bass said, but it helped her realize a passion for working with students.

Bass continued her education, graduating from the University of Iowa in 2012 with a master’s degree in school counseling.

Bass was nominated for Counselor of the Year by her peer Aimee Hospodarsky in Monticello.

Many students Bass works with aren’t sure where to start in the process of applying to college or establishing a career after high school.

Underserved students might not see an example at home of what a professional career looks like, Bass said.

She works closely with the Marion Economic Development Corp. to help students identify possible careers — including internships and apprenticeships — in their own community.

Iowa elementary School Counselor of the Year is Greta Lundsgaard-Baughn, a teacher at Strawberry Hill Elementary in Anamosa.

The Iowa School Counselor Association will select an overall School Counselor of the Year in April and that name will be submitted to the American School Counselor Association for consideration for the national School Counselor of the Year award in 2023.

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