Sarasota County Schools is pleased to announce that Sarasota Middle School’s Dr. Carmen Larson has been named the Florida School Counselor Association’s (FSCA) 2024 Florida School Counselor of the Year. This is the first time a school counselor from Sarasota County Schools has won the award. The FSCA Professional Recognition Committee reviews applications from school counseling professionals throughout the state to make nominations for the annual School Counselor of the Year (SCOY) award. Nominees must be working as full-time school counselors and have completed three years of service by the application deadline. Created to recognize the life-changing impact that school counselors have on students and school communities, the SCOY award honors school counselors who successfully manage comprehensive school counseling programs; innovatively work to advance the profession; and passionately advocate for the needs of their students, families, and school communities, among other important criteria. The 2024 Florida School Counselor of the Year recognition occurred on Friday, October 27 at the annual FSCA Convention Awards Luncheon. Dr. Carmen Larson will be in the running for the National School Counselor of the Year award from the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) for the 2024-2025 school year.