MCCA 2015 Counselor of the Year
Congratulations to Kelly Gallagher, our 2015 Kenneth D. Child Memorial Counselor of the Year recipient!
Kelly, a counselor in Upper Merion School District, is a leader with a strong moral compass and boundless energy. She tirelessly advocates for her school community, and the counseling profession. As the school counselor for Roberts Elementary School, she has developed and implemented a counseling program based on the ASCA model. Kelly’s professionalism, knowledge and communication skills are exceptional. Her warmth and responsive nature engage those she works with and she has the ability to articulate information in a manner most beneficial to her audience.
Kelly’s dedication to the counseling profession is also noted by her work with MCCA and PSCA.
Kelly has been on the MCCA Executive Board since 2007 and she has been the PSCA IU23 representative
for two terms, six years. She does all of this while raising two children, baking and modeling the
importance of self- care: life balance, exercise and healthy eating.
Kelly was honored at our May luncheon, surrounded by her colleagues. Although this tribute took place in May,
I know that Kelly is up and running this new school year, looking for new ways to serve her community.
"Kelly’s professionalism, knowledge and communication skills are exceptional. Her warmth and responsive
nature engage those she works with and she has the ability to articulate information in a manner most beneficial
to her audience. Kelly is a sincere, highly competent and dependable counselor who gives willingly and
generously of her time and talents."
- Sue Pronchik, nominator
MCCA 2015 Graduate Student of the Year
MCCA is pleased to recognize Emily Cox as this year's Graduate Student of the Year!
It was our pleasure to present this year's Graduate student award to Emily at
the MCCA Spring Luncheon this past May.
Emily completed her Master's in Counseling with a trauma focus at Arcadia University. She interned
at Women Organized Against Rape where she facilitated trauma groups of victims and survivors of sexual violence, and did her practicum training at Intercommunity Action (Interact) in Roxborough. At the same time, Emily was completing a second Master's at Arcadia in International Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR). Through this program, Emily
worked in Rwanda directly with survivors of the genocide there, and has had similar expereinces with
trauma vicitms in the United States and elsewhere.
Emily also incorporates her extensive yoga background into her counseling work by teaching skills to trauma victims.
The capstone experience in her IPCR program was creating a program plan highlighting potential physical
and emotional benefits of yoga practice for victims of sexual trauma.
Emily was nominated for the MCCA Graduate Student Award by Arcadia Professor Angela R. Gillem, PH.D. who states:
"Emily walks the counseling talk by applying skills to her life, to her experiences, to self-care,
to her counseling work while always committing herself to whatever she does."
Emily herself reflects:
"I love doing what I am passionate about and see avenues to help others and offer it to the world. Empathy and self-care feed my own energy, motivation and creativity, a valuable lesson from my Arcadia faculty."
Though her professional counseling career is just beginning, Emily has had unique and varied experiences that have honed her skills into those of a seasoned practitioner. She has already positively impacted many lives and will undoubtedly make significant contributions to the counseling profession.
