Counseling at High School
We, the counselors, are the students’ advocates and their allies. We are there to support them, as well as to guide them through challenging situations.
High School Counselors advise and guide the academic, personal, and social/emotional wellbeing of high school students.
The HS counselors work with the students starting in tenth grade to plan for their post-Lincoln education, especially in regard to college and university applications.
Assigned during freshman year, counselors remain with students for their whole high school years, developing a personal relationship in order to more effectively advise and guide them. In this way, students feel free to discuss the unique academic and personal challenges they face as they grow closer to their senior year and to their next educational steps.
Our counselors work with their respective students to guide them and their families through the processes of college search, college application and matriculation from Lincoln.
HS COUNSELING PROGRAM
- Individual counseling as well as classroom and small group interventions
- Working with parents and teachers to foster student success through individual and group meetings to strategize best ways forward according to the needs of the student
- Sessions on career and college planning (students and parents)
- Academic advising and scheduling
- Designing and helping to implement sessions on social and emotional learning through advisory
- Reviewing applications for admission and assisting students and families through the transition of entering Lincoln
- Parent outreach through Counselor Book Clubs, Transition Sessions (students and parents), Parent Evenings for University Preparation, Parent Coffees where parents are invited to come each month and discuss pertinent topics according to the time of year, as well as Sessions on Special Topics
- Safeguarding and Crisis Intervention which includes sessions for students on staying safe in risky situations and in daily life, consistent training of teachers and staff on safeguarding best practices, and intervening when there is a safeguarding concern to keep the respective student safe and lead the process of safeguarding from the first concern through to the creation of safety plan
UNIVERSITY FAIRS:
Lincoln hosts visits from colleges and universities from across the globe each year. In addition, we host a CIS College Fair once every fall and spring.
To schedule a visit to Lincoln, please contact
Ms. Yolanda Vitsentzos
PARENT COFFEES:
Our High school counselors invite parents to share evenings dedicated to relevant subjects that impact on students' wellbeing.
CAREER FAIRS:
Every year, the Career Fair brings in professionals from various career fields to speak to students in small groups about their careers and how they entered their fields
MEET YOUR COUNSELORS
Mr. Douglas Dworak
Douglas Dworak is the high school counselor for students in Grades 11 and 12 .
Originally from Omaha, Nebraska, Douglas has worked as a counselor for a decade both in the US and worldwide before joining Lincoln in 2021. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy and Classical Studies from Loyola University New Orleans and went on to earn his Master's degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of San Francisco, along with his counseling credentials from the state of California. Douglas completed his counselor training working at schools in Oakland, Berkeley, and San Francisco, California. He has since worked as a school counselor in Omaha, Nebraska; Istanbul, Turkey; Khartoum, Sudan; and Lagos, Nigeria before joining the team at Lincoln.
Mr. Dworak also sponsors the high school debate and Model United Nations clubs at Lincoln and is dedicated to helping each student at Lincoln find a path and plan that is suitable to their individual aspirations. Mr. Dworak's door is always open to students and encourages parents to be in touch with questions, or just to get to know each other!
Contact:
Ms. Devon Stafford
Ms. Devon Stafford is the high school counselor for students in Grades 9 and 10 .
She has just finished her 24th year in education and is so excited to start this year at Lincoln. She started out teaching Social Studies and then moved into a counseling role.
She has a Masters of Education in School Counseling and a BA in Speech Communication. She is an only parent to a 6 year old going into G1. She enjoys presenting/facilitating, connecting and learning from colleagues, students and families.
She is an ambivert, depending on her mood (both extrovert and introvert) and enjoys being highly creative. Her passions include reading, being creative and especially creating with food and enjoying the creation.
