Celebrating National School Counseling Week: Hillary Nichols of Cherokee HS!

It’s National School Counseling Week … and the perfect time to celebrate our newly named 2026 Counselor of the Year Zone Winners!  We value our school counselors’ unparalleled talent and unmatched dedication in their role to ensure our students learn more, grow more, and achieve more in our classrooms than they could anywhere else.  Each day this week, we will spotlight an amazing counselor selected to represent their Zone colleagues as the best of the best.  Please join us in congratulating and thanking Cherokee Innovation Zone Counselor of the Year Hillary Nichols of Cherokee High School!  

What inspired you to become a school counselor?    
In 2013, I did my student teaching at Cherokee High School.  During that semester, I had a few students who experienced a crisis and I found myself wanting to help them more than just academics.  Academics are important, but if you're not taking care of yourself, then you're unable perform academically and be the best version of yourself.  I became close with the school counselor that I was making referrals to that semester and quickly found myself wanting learn more about her job.  I would spend time with her before/after school and during my planning period.  So I applied to University of Georgia and started that summer in its school counseling program! 

What is most rewarding about being a school counselor?
The most rewarding part of being a school counselor is being able to walk with students through their biggest milestones.  From their first day of high school to graduation, learning how to become the best version of themselves, and postsecondary decisions, I love celebrating their progress, growth, and accomplishments along the way.  Being part of those defining moments and watching students realize their potential is what makes this work so meaningful. 

How do you elevate the excellence in your school?
I elevate excellence in my school by bringing my creative side into my work as a school counselor.  As a photographer outside of CCSD, school counseling is truly where my two worlds collide.  I use my photography, design, and branding skills to create engaging, visually appealing, and reader-friendly resources for students and families.  From designing our website to managing our social media presence, I’ve loved helping rebrand Cherokee High School’s platforms into something both informative and dynamic.  It’s been a true labor of love, but a lot of fun. 

#CCSDElevateTheExcellence #NSCW2026