Brian Thomas

Dedicated and experienced high school counselor with a passion for empowering students to reach their full potential. Known for utilizing a data-driven approach to provide personalized guidance and support to a diverse range of students. Proven track record of fostering academic success, social-emotional well-being, and career readiness. Committed to creating inclusive environments where all students feel valued and supported in achieving their goals.

Accomplished high school counselor with extensive experience advocating for students to excel academically, socially, and emotionally while overcoming obstacles to their success. Strong presentation and teaching skills with a passion for building rapport with students and parents. Partner and mentor to faculty providing resources to ensure student achievement. Expertise counseling students in career exploration and college preparation. Recognized for creating numerous programs that provide additional resources and funding for mental health, food scarcity, and career planning.

• TL Hanna High School, Anderson, SC, 08/2000, Present, Assistant Director of School Counseling, Provide individual and small group counseling, Develop Individual Graduation Plans, Create college & career readiness programs, Present essential information via classroom guidance lessons, Share information with students and parents on various topics both in-person and virtually, Create grade-level newsletters and Senior blogs, Lead initiatives which resulted in significant increases in FAFSA Completion Rates for seniors, Identify a need for and help create a Cosmetology grant for students attending our career center which provided funding to offset student’s portion of fees for this program, Responsible for implementing senior-related events including College Application Day, FAFSA Nights, College Fair, as well as several college admissions events for upperclassmen and their parents, Assist with implementation of annual HBCU college fair, Lead small groups including those for First Generation College and At-Risk Freshmen
• Statesboro High School, Statesboro, GA, 1998, 2020, High School Counselor, Initiate the Food for Thought program which provides weekly backpacks of nutritious food for homeless students and others facing food insecurity, Partner with local churches and food banks to support this program, Apply for and receive a $2500 Title IV grant to help fund this initiative, Implement the school-wide utilization of YouScience, a recently adopted career assessment, to help provide appropriate career options for students, Organize a Career Night at SHS featuring various career speakers tailored to the specific needs of students, Launch the first ever Senior Signing Day at SHS which recognizes students and their college acceptance

Brian Thomas, , 02/25/24, 12:28 PM

• ASCA Annual Conference-Summer 2023-Virtual Attendee
• National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference-Spring 2022
• SACAC Virtual Conference-April 2021
• Speaker at Georgia Career Association for Career and Technical Education (GACTE) Summer Leadership Summer Conference-Summer 2019
• ASCA Webinar Series: Celebrate College Signing Day-Spring 2019
• ASCA Webinar Series: Support Underrepresented Students’ Academic Rigor-Spring 2019
• ASCA-U Certification: Anxiety Management and Stress Management Specialist-Fall 2019

• Mr. Walter Mayfield, Principal, TL Hanna High School, (864) 260-5110, waltermayfield@anderson5.net
• Mrs. Beth Hearn, Department Chair, TL Hanna High School, (864) 260-5110, Ext 85032, bethhearn@anderson5.net
• Mrs. Hannah Arnold, Director for Secondary Instructional Support Services, Anderson 5 District Office, (864) 260-5000, ext. 10187, hannaharnold@anderson5.net

• Volunteer Year of the Year, Youth Soccer Coach, Bulloch County Parks & Recreation-2010
• Statesboro First United Methodist Church, Lay Liturgist, Usher, VBS Volunteer-2000-2018