Pohakea Elementary School counselor Nicole Blomberg has been named 2022 Hawaii Counselor of the Year by the American School Counselor Association.

Blomberg has “an immense impact on our school culture and the way that students and teachers interact with each other,” Pohakea Principal Corey Barton said. “She embodies — models — a kindness that carries into our school community. It begins with her.”

Blomberg, a counselor at Pohakea in Ewa Beach since 2006, is credited with helping to pull the community together through a monthly Virtual Read Aloud Book Nook in which she uses “bibliocounseling,” a multimodal teaching method, to remind people of the importance of kindness and perseverance, especially in difficult times.

She also created the school’s Check and Connect attendance program, which provides mentors to students who have challenges. The on-campus mentors conduct daily check-ins and help students create monthly goals.

“Most importantly,” Blomberg says, “the program creates a positive relationship with these students to make coming to school feel safe.”

Blomberg joined other award winners Feb. 3 at the 2022 School Counselor of the Year ceremony in Washington, D.C.

The ASCA School Counselor of the Year award recognizes counseling professionals in elementary, middle and high schools across the nation for their devotion to the academic and career success of their students as well as their social-emotional well-being. Selection criteria include the development of creative counseling innovations and programs, leadership skills and contributions to academic improvement.

In a state Department of Education news release, Blomberg was cited for continuing to “inspire and enact change in her students’ lives,” especially during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. She was nominated for her “outstanding ability to connect with students and their families, which, along with her continuous effort to reflect on her professional practices, allows her to best support the education, well-being and potential of every student.”

State schools interim Superintendent Keith Hayashi said in a video message for National School Counseling Week earlier this month that counselors are more crucial than ever.

“Over the course of these last two school years, our school counselors carried an even heavier weight, given all that our students go through in the face of the pandemic,” Hayashi said. “They are the trusted adults on campus for many of our students, as well as a critical resource for our communities.”