Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES Guidance Counselor Alycia Lacki was recently awarded the Chautauqua County Counselors Association Counselor of the Year award. From left are Leo Fial, Associate Director of Career & Technical Education; Alycia Lacki; Jose Pagan, LoGuidice Educational Center principal; and Leighton Swanson, Hewes Educational Center guidance counselor.

The Chautauqua County Counselors Association annually presents the Robert Minton Counselor of the Year award to one deserving school counselor.

The recipient of this year’s award was Alycia Lacki, LoGuidice Educational Center guidance counselor.

Lacki is the guidance counselor for one of four Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES’ Career & Technical Education centers.

“Alycia is a hard-working and dedicated counselor. She not only attends to our students but will attend to her teammates and will also volunteer to go to other schools to support when other counselors are needed,” said Jose Pagan, LoGuidice Educational Center principal.

Lacki was surprised with the honor during the year-end E2CCB CTE workshop to recap the school year and plan for the next.

“This award is going to someone described by her co-workers and students as hard-working, dedicated, highly respected, and a dedicated, driving force,” said award presenter Leighton Swanson, Hewes Educational Center guidance counselor. “She has shown through her dedication to her work that she is exactly where she belongs in this world … serving as a guiding light to all those around her.”

The Robert Minton Counselor of the Year award was created in memory of Mr. Minton, who dedicated over 30 years of his life as a knowledgeable, reliable, and generous counselor. Counselors are selected for their hard work, outstanding contributions, and inspirational service that embody the professional and personal characteristics of Mr. Minton.

“I feel so blessed that I get the opportunity to work with an amazing group of coworkers and play a role in helping students grow and develop their skills which allows them to feel safe and loved while pursuing their goals, both personally and professionally,” Lacki said. “It has been an incredibly challenging couple of years with the pandemic. Counselors and all educators are juggling more now than ever, and I am so proud of the great work we all do.”

Lacki received her bachelor’s in Psychology and Sociology from SUNY Fredonia, and her master’s in School Counseling from St. Bonaventure. In 2011 she earned her Advanced Masters Certification in School Counseling from St. Bonaventure. This is her 14th year as a counselor for E2CCB; she worked with Alternative Education and Special Education in her first eight years.

Each school year, the Chautauqua County Counselors Association also awards scholarships to Chautauqua County high school seniors pursuing a major in a counseling-related field, social work, or education. Chautauqua County Counselors Association scholarships are fully funded by yearly membership dues, fundraising, and donations through events such as the CCCA Golf Tournament, which Lacki has helped organize.

The Chautauqua County Counselors Association is a professional organization comprised of school counselors and school social workers representing 22 Chautauqua County school districts and higher education institutions: Bemus Point, Brocton, Cassadaga Valley, Chautauqua Lake, Clymer, Dunkirk, Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES, Falconer, Forestville, Fredonia, Frewsburg, Jamestown, Jamestown Business College, Jamestown Community College, Panama, Pine Valley, Ripley, Sherman, Silver Creek, Southwestern Central School District, State University at Fredonia and Westfield Academy and Central School. The Chautauqua County Counselors Association aims to advance students’ welfare and interests by supporting its members’ professional welfare.