Brittnie Caraulia, a Helemano Elementary School counselor credited with building a nurturing school environment for students and school employees alike, was recognized as the 2023 Hawai‘i School Counselor of the Year by the American School Counselor Association.

Caraulia recently joined other honorees at the annual National School Counselor of the Year ceremony in Washington, D.C.

The award honors professionals who devote their careers to advocating for the nation’s students and addressing their academic and social-emotional development and college and career readiness needs, according to a state Department of Education news release. Honorees were selected for their ability to create systemic change within the school counseling profession.

Hawaii state Schools Superintendent Keith Hayashi called Caraulia “a shining example” of Helemano’s efforts to grow as a community of leaders.

School counselors are “so integral to the success of our students,” Hayashi said in the release. “Now more than ever, we rely on their expertise and guidance in creating positive and innovative ways to enhance the academic and social-emotional needs of our students. The department is grateful to have counselors like Ms. Caraulia in our schools, every day, working tirelessly to advocate for and support student success.”

Caraulia — a DOE counselor since 2015 and a school counselor for grades 3-5 at Helemano since 2019 — was praised for establishing a data-driven, “multi-tiered system of support” at her school, which emphasizes a systemic approach to monitoring student success, and a focus on quality teacher-student relationships, the release said.

“As a result of implementing this program, students’ perception of overall school safety improved from 56% to over 90%.”

Caraulia also helped to establish the Helemano School Counseling Program, which includes quarterly training for staff on interventions and classroom management, and biweekly lessons in social-emotional learning for all grade levels among its features.

“She has an open-door policy for any staff needing to share personal or professional concerns and has spearheaded activities that promote and prioritize staff well-being,” the release added.

Helemano Elementary Principal Ernest Muh called Caraulia “an indispensable resource to our school — providing an excellent counseling program, a fierce devotion to students and teachers, and an innovative method of vastly advancing the social and emotional needs of our students. She advocates vigorously for all students at our school by collaborating with parents and teachers to determine the most beneficial course of action to assist each individual student.”