photo by: Lawrence Public Schools

Amanda Atkins, Sunset Hill Elementary School counselor, is pictured with Lawrence Superintendent Anthony Lewis Monday, Feb. 7, 2022, at the school, where Atkins was presented with the 2022 Kansas School Counselor of the Year Award.

A Sunset Hill Elementary counselor has won the Kansas School Counselor of the Year Award.

The counselor, Amanda Atkins, was presented with the award Monday during an event at the school to kick off National School Counseling Week.

Atkins joined the Lawrence district in 2016. She has served both Sunset Hill and New York Elementary schools and has been the full-time counselor at Sunset Hill for four years.

photo by: Lawrence Public Schools

Hanna Kemble, left, and Piper, a therapy dog, presented Amanda Atkins, a counselor at Sunset Hill Elementary, with the 2022 Kansas School Counselor of the Year Award Monday, Feb. 7, 2022, at Sunset Hill.

Hanna Kemble of the Kansas School Counselor Association, accompanied by therapy dog Piper, honored Atkins with the recognition, which is based on the criteria of school counseling innovations, effective school counseling programs, leadership and advocacy skills, and contributions to student achievement, according to a news release from the district.

“This is the most amazing part. This counselor was nominated by a parent. That doesn’t often happen,” said Kemble, who is a school counselor in the Auburn-Washburn school district in Topeka. “This parent reached out to us early in the year and said, ‘Listen, I have this amazing counselor. She is my child’s rock, and she needs to be recognized for it.'”

Reading remarks shared by Atkins’ colleagues, Kemble continued: “Amanda’s unwavering support of families and staff is unconditional and undeniably perceptive. Simply stated, she knows what you need and when you need it. With a humble heart, Amanda unpacks the strengths of others, enabling them to recognize the uniqueness in themselves and to find the sparkle in others.”