School counselors play an integral role in students’ primary and secondary education, assisting with social and emotional issues, relationships, life challenges, and college and career counseling. 

In recognition of National School Counseling Week, Feb. 3-7, The Den is highlighting two Mercer University College of Professional Advancement alumni who are helping students thrive. 

Dr. Shanna Mitchell-Jones graduated in 2011 with a Master of Science in school counseling. She now is a school counselor at Unity Grove Elementary School in Henry County. 

Dr. Priscilla Powers graduated in 2024 with a Ph.D. in counselor education and supervision. She now is a high school counselor at New Hope Education Center in Paulding County. 

A passionate mentor 

At Unity Grove Elementary, Dr. Mitchell-Jones teaches life skills through classroom lessons, provides group and individual counseling and helps students succeed in and out of the classroom.

Dr. Shanna Mitchell-Jones
Dr. Shanna Mitchell-Jones

“My passion is to help students find their passion,” she said. 

Dr. Mitchell-Jones said she always knew she wanted to work with children. She started college at Georgia State University thinking she would pursue a career as a respiratory therapist, but a job as an after-school instructor changed her mind. 

“I enjoyed working with students, and that’s how I learned about school counseling,” she said. “And once I learned about what a school counselor did as far as how they serve the students, I became more interested in it.” 

After earning her bachelor’s degree in psychology, she completed Mercer’s master’s program in school counseling. She worked as a counselor at two schools in South Carolina and earned her Doctor of Education from Argosy University before finding her way back to Georgia in 2019. Last year, she was a semi-finalist for Georgia School Counselor of the Year.  

As an elementary school counselor, Dr. Mitchell-Jones often incorporates games like Chutes and Ladders, Family Feud and Jeopardy! into her lessons that cover topics from impulse control to self-discipline to emotional regulation. 

“It makes lessons a lot more engaging for them. Students learn best through play,” she said. 

Small group and individual counseling are solution-focused, such as how to reduce disciplinary referrals for fighting and how to prepare for middle school, she said.  

Dr. Mitchell-Jones said she most enjoys mentoring girls through her club, Girls Rising Above Challenges Elegantly, or GRACE. The club, made up of 28 fourth- and fifth-grade girls, meets once a month to discuss a variety of topics from self-confidence to college and careers. 

“I just want to work with the youth because I know some students don’t have as many positive role models as they should,” she said. “So, my goal is to do my part and try to contribute to that. 

A listening ear 

As a high school counselor at New Hope Education Center, providing social-emotional counseling is a large part of Dr. Powers’s job, in addition to college and career counseling.

Dr. Priscilla Powers
Dr. Priscilla Powers

“I help kids identify ways that they can have good relationships with their peers, with their parents,” she said. “I help them with mental health challenges, so I can assess what’s maybe holding them back mental health wise that they hadn’t considered and help them become resilient to challenges.” 

School counselors are often the first ones to notice signs of mental health struggles in students, and they also are usually students’ first experience with a counselor, Dr. Powers said. 

“We can introduce the field of mental health to kids and let them know it’s a great option for them and a great resource and something they should consider,” she said. 

Dr. Powers always knew she wanted to work in a school, but she didn’t want to be a teacher. She homed in on school counseling after weighing it and school psychology as potential options. 

She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia and followed it with a master’s degree from Regent University, an education specialist degree from the University of West Georgia and, finally, her Ph.D. from Mercer. 

For her Ph.D., she researched the clinical skills of school counselors. 

“School counseling requires skilled counselors. There’s a lot of research that notes that skilled counselors positively impact student outcomes, and we don’t really have an operational definition of clinical skills for school counselors,” said Dr. Powers, whose research resulted in defining 10 clinical skills for school counselors. 

Counselors are a vital part of the school team, she said. Students face a variety of mental health stressors, including poverty, violence, technology, high academic standards and cultural differences. As a counselor, she’s there to listen and help, not judge 

“To help identify those kids in need and get them the services they need is a huge part of school counseling, and I think there’s no one else in a school that can do what we do,” she said. 

 

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