DE PERE, Wis. (WFRV) – Every year the Wisconsin School Counselor Association (WSCA) names one counselor to be named School Counselor of the Year.

Two weeks ago, Principal Russ Gerke of West De Pere High School got the call that their school counselor Lisa Boyd was selected as the 2024 School Counselor of the Year. About 30 nominations from schools across the state were submitted to the WSCA, but it was Principal Gerke’s nomination that made Lisa stand out.

“I put my heart and soul into writing the nomination but she gave me all that information,” said Principal Gerke. “I’ve watched her for twenty years and all the things she’s done so it was an easy nomination to write.”

Wednesday morning, friends, family, and students of Lisa Boyd gathered in the school’s auditorium to surprise and congratulate her on the achievement. Boyd told Local Five’s Samantha Petters that she knew about the nomination but didn’t think twice about it.

“I did not see it coming!” said Boyd. “It feels wonderful, thank you, it’s nice to have a little recognition for all those years of working with people.”

While it came as a shock to Lisa, Principal Gerke said it’s well-deserved and speaks to everything she has done for the school and the community as a whole.

“She has helped us fill this whole gamut of student opportunities and she’s just such a caring and wonderful person with our students that it has changed our culture and made it a great place for students to be every single day,” said Principal Gerke.”

The WSCA aims to highlight the counselors in Wisconsin school districts that go above and beyond for their community, students, and fellow educators. But to Lisa Boyd, it’s what she loves to do and it’s who she is.

“I do this because I like students, I like to work with families, I like connections and relationships, and I like to be able to assist whenever I can,” said Boyd.

Boyd hopes to continue inspiring the students that she feels fortunate enough to work with every day.