Regina Naradko has been named the 2016 Ralph Kidd Memorial Counselor of the Year by the Lehigh Carbon School Counselors Association.

SCHNECKSVILLE, Pa. | The Lehigh Carbon School Counselors Association this week named Lehigh Career & Technical Institute’s Regina Naradko its 2016 Ralph Kidd Memorial Counselor of the Year.

The LCSCA presented Naradko with the award Wednesday during the School Counselors Week Networkshop at Lehigh Carbon Community College. The award presentation was a pleasant surprise for Naradko, a North Whitehall Township resident who joined LCTI’s guidance staff in January 2006.

Naradko’s colleagues learned last month that she’d been selected for the honor, but kept it a secret until Wednesday. Grace Loeffler-Guldin, LCTI director of academic & special programs, coordinated the surprise with association leadership.

Naradko didn’t suspect a thing — until her husband and every member of the Student Services office staff unexpectedly arrived at the workshop, which was held in LCCC’s Scheller-Woodman Community Services Center.  Naradko’s supervisor, Loeffler-Guldin, and two more colleagues, Colleen Fahey and Kristin Jachowicz, read aloud the letters of recommendation they wrote about her for the award nomination process.

Loeffler-Guldin said LCTI has several new guidance counselors and Naradko immediately stepped up to mentor them. “It’s not uncommon for Mrs. Naradko to meet with the counseling staff and provide direction on a specific topic or to meet individually with each counselor to provide one-to-one assistance,” she said.

Naradko has a way with LCTI’s students, as well, Loeffler-Guldin said. “Mrs. Naradko works with our students as if they were her own children. She provides a warm and caring atmosphere and follows the ASCA (American School Counselor Association) model when working with our students.”

Fahey, LCTI’s career pathways advisor, describes Naradko as a problem solver and a team player who is constantly on the lookout for ways to improve the school and its processes.

“What I admire most about Regina is her ability to find solutions to problems and inspire positive change. For instance, she is responsible for our annual tours for students from our 10 sending schools,” Fahey said. “I’m often in awe of how she initiates a process that runs like a well-oiled machine to showcase the very best of LCTI to thousands of of prospective students each year.”

Jachowicz, LCTI’s supervisor of special education said, “Regina (Naradko) is the definition of what counselor of the year should be: knowledgeable, dedicated, compassionate, organized, approachable and, most importantly, a natural-born leader.”

Afterward, Naradko thanked the association, her colleagues and husband, noting that they’d done a great job pulling off the surprise.

Congratulations, Mrs. Naradko! We’re so thankful to have a counselor like you at LCTI!

Read the complete news release.

Media Contact: Precious Petty, Public Relations Coordinator, 610-799-1450, pettyp@lcti.org