Annual IC3 Awards

Recognizing Excellence in Career & College Counseling

The Annual IC3 Awards recognize extraordinary contributions to the field of career and college counseling each year, presented to high school counselors, schools, universities, and admissions representatives that stand out for their inspiring work. Celebratory in nature, these annual awards aim to energize and encourage colleagues around the world in their admirable dedication to students and advocacy in career and college counseling.

2024 Annual IC3 Awards

Encourage your fellow counselors for their invaluable contributions to the field of career and college counseling. We invite you to nominate a colleague from a high school, university, or organization that aligns with the mission of "counseling in every school."
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Award Categories

Awards for school-based educators

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Molly Abraham Lifetime Achievement Award

Eligibility: High school counselor, with 20+ years in the field

The Molly Abraham Lifetime Achievement Award is named after Mrs. Molly Abraham, a compassionate teacher and mentor, who impacted thousands of students through her work over 30 years. Molly teacher’s inspiring legacy demonstrates how one teacher, educator, or advisor can change young lives, and open doors for young people that they don’t even know exist. This award recognizes a professional who has been instrumental in changing or building the career counseling sector.

Molly Abraham Lifetime Achievement Award

Eligibility: High school counselor, with 20+ years in the field

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Emerging Counselor of the Year Award

Eligibility: High school counselor, with 3 or fewer years in the field

A counselor who has a proven track record in the counseling space for five years or fewer, with strong willingness to learn and a demonstrated high level of interest.

Emerging Counselor of the Year Award

Eligibility: High school counselor, with 3 or fewer years in the field

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Counselor of the Year Award

Eligibility: High school counselor, with at least 3 years in the field

A counselor who has improved and impacted the field of career and college counseling this year. An intermediate or advanced counselor who allows for exploration, willingness to learn, and a continued demonstrated high level of interest.

Counselor of the Year Award

Eligibility: High school counselor, with at least 3 years in the field

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Counseling Mentor of the Year Award

Eligibility: High school counselor, with 5+ years in the field

An expert counselor and demonstrated mentor to his/her counseling peers, this individual supports, encourages and provides professional development opportunities and resources to fellow counselors in the field.

Counseling Mentor of the Year Award

Eligibility: High school counselor, with 5+ years in the field

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Bridget Herrera Ethics in College Counseling Award

Eligibility: High school counselor

At the forefront of practicing and encouraging full integrity in terms of predicted grades and documentation, ethical application processes and admissions, and helping students to find their best fit, this individual has shown leadership through exemplary promotion of the criticality of ethical counseling practices. This award honors the contributions of Bridget Herrera, past recipient of the Molly Abraham Lifetime Achievement Award. Bridget has worked for over 25 years as a college counselor in schools in Bangladesh and across Latin America. Bridget has previously served as President of International ACAC, Chair of NACAC's Inclusion and Access Committee, TOEFL Board Member, member of the Common Application's Advisory Outreach Group, Counselor Liaison for the CIS Latin America Committee, and on a number of IC3 committees. She is one of the founding members of the Bangladesh College Counselor Network (BCCN).

Bridget Herrera Ethics in College Counseling Award

Eligibility: High school counselor

Awards for university-based educators

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Celebrated Service Award

Eligibility: Committee volunteer, serving on IC3 committees 3+ years

Honoring significant contribution and exceptional service to the mission of IC3 in bringing counseling to every school. Exemplifying the spirit of volunteerism, this individual has served on IC3 volunteer committees for 3 years or more, and has been instrumental in advancing the success, growth, and impact of IC3’s mission through dedicated committee volunteer work.

Celebrated Service Award

Eligibility: Committee volunteer, serving on IC3 committees 3+ years

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University Leadership Impact Award

Eligibility: University representative

Professional leadership and demonstrated mentorship at his/her institution, this individual has made significant contributions by bringing awareness to the importance of career & college counseling in schools and in higher education. Having earned respect and admiration from students, peers and colleagues, this individual also provides clarity to paradigm shifts in the world beyond the institution.

University Leadership Impact Award

Eligibility: University representative

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Counseling-Based Approach to Student Recruitment/Admissions Award

Eligibility: university representative

This individual supports, practices and encourages full integrity in a counseling-based approach to student recruitment/admissions, helping students find the right fit. Evident through outreach and recruitment, retention efforts, and student support.

Counseling-Based Approach to Student Recruitment/Admissions Award

Eligibility: university representative

Awards for high schools

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School of the Year for Transformative Counseling Award

Eligibility: High school

Exemplifying excellence with a long-term committed approach to career and college counseling. Through implementation and investment of counseling resources and training, exceptional demonstration of creating a new (or revamping an existing) counseling department to make a significant and lasting impact on the way its students are served, the school encourages student exploration and engagement, as well as counselor collaboration and continued professional development.

School of the Year for Transformative Counseling Award

Eligibility: High school

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Ganesh Kohli Counseling Laboratory™ Award

Eligibility: High school

Exceptional implementation of the Counseling Laboratory™ setup and approach to counseling in a school. Fosters opportunities for students and also counselors’ continued professional development, creatively integrates and supports the objectives and strategic goals of counseling. This award honors the contributions of Ganesh Kohli, Founder of the IC3 Movement. A teacher, counselor, entrepreneur, and life-long learner, Ganesh is the pioneer of the Counseling Laboratory™ pedagogy, a pathbreaking approach to high school career and college counseling.

Ganesh Kohli Counseling Laboratory™ Award

Eligibility: High school

2023 IC3 Global Awards Recipients

Nominees:

  • Prachi Hajela
    Manchester Metropolitan University
  • Sara Roberts
    Imperial College London
  • Vikram Patel
    Plaksha University
  • Smriti Bhati
    Vijaybhoomi University
  • Anju Deoskar
    Flame University
  • Pranav Pradhan
    University of San Francisco

Prachi Hajela
University Leadership Impact Award
Prachi Hajela

Manchester Metropolitan University

Nominees:

Manju Sharma
B.D. Somani International School

Rachel Dillon
The American School Foundation, A.C.

Rita Balachandran
JBCN International School, Borivali

Shalini Nambiar
Seth Anandram Jaipuria School Vasundhara


Shahana Salman
GEMS Cambridge International Private School Sharjah

Manju Sharma
Counseling Mentor of the Year Award
Manju Sharma

B.D. Somani International School

Nominees:

Pitts Modern School, Gomia
Ganesh Kohli Counseling Laboratory™ Award
Pitts Modern School, Gomia

Nominees:

Teji Varghese
Jamnabai Narsee School

Mariam Hasan
Beaconhouse College Program Gulberg

Shikha Vij
Step by Step School, Noida

Ritu Dhingra
Vasant Valley School

Beatrice Langariti
Aga Khan High School

Teji Varghese
Bridget Herrera Ethics in College Counseling Award
Teji Varghese

Jamnabai Narsee School

Nominees:

Soma Dam
Celebrated Service Award
Soma Dam

Suncity School, Gurgaon

2023 IC3 Regional Awards Recipients

Nominees:

  • Emmanuel Ngolefac
    Teacher
    Government Bilingual High School Bafoussam Rural, Cameroon
  • Levis Suh
    University Admissions Counselor
    MADA International School Yaounde, Cameroon
  • Shelly Jain
    Deputy Guidance University Admission Manager
    Enko Education, Ivory Coast
Emmanuel Ngolefac
Emerging Counselor of the Year
Emmanuel Ngolefac

Government Bilingual High School Bafoussam Rural, Cameroon

Nominees:

  • Fanele Chester
    School Counselor
    UWC Waterford Kamhlaba, Swaziland (Eswatini)
  • Vincent Manyura
    Teacher of IB English
    MPesa Foundation Academy, Kenya
  • Ben Dickensheets
    In-country Director
    Tujenge Africa Foundation, Burundi
Fanele Chester
Counselor of the Year
Fanele Chester

UWC Waterford Kamhlaba, Swaziland (Eswatini)

Nominees:

  • Araba Botchway
    Director of Admissions & Financial Aid
    Ashesi University
  • Linet Aguko
    Program Director-Mastercard Foundation Scholars program
    United States International University of Africa
  • Khadija Jetha
    International Recruitment and Relations Coordinator (Middle East and Africa)
    University of Alberta
Araba Botchway
Outstanding Engagemenent
Araba Botchway

Ashesi University

Nominees:

  • Moustafa Ezz
    Associate Vice President, International Recruitment and Strategy
    Huron University
  • Khadija Jetha
    International Recruitment and Relations Coordinator (Middle East and Africa)
    University of Alberta
  • Caroline Rushingwa
    International Student Recruitment (Lead for Africa)
    The University of Warwick
Khadija Jetha
Counseling-Based Approach to Student Recruitment/Admissions
Khadija Jetha

University of Alberta

Nominees:

Abaarso School
School of the Year for Transformative Counseling
Abaarso School

Somaliland

Nominees:

Reginaldo Aguiar
Emerging Counselor of the Year
Reginaldo Aguiar

Colégio Positivo, Brazil

Nominees:

  • Gerardo de Vega
    College Counselor
    Country Day School, Costa Rica
  • Danika Nowak
    American School of Guatemala
  • Maria Lucia Puerta
    College & Career Counselor
    Colegio Nueva Granada, Colombia
Gerardo de Vega
Counselor of the Year
Gerardo de Vega

Country Day School, Costa Rica

Nominees:

Megan Mankerian-Stem
Outstanding Engagemenent
Megan Mankerian-Stem

Creighton University

Christie Culp

Loyola Marymount University

Nominees:

  • Olufemi Ogundele
    Associate Vice Chancellor of Enrollment | Dean of Undergraduate Admission
    University of California, Berkeley
  • Kristina Rivera
    Admissions Manager
    University of Connecticut
  • Christina Callahan
    Associate Director of Admission, Director of Global Partnerships and Outreach
    Northwestern University
  • David Thomas
    Latin America Representative
    Bristol University
Kristina Rivera
Counseling-Based Approach to Student Recruitment/Admissions
Kristina Rivera

University of Connecticut

Nominees:

  • Masresha Esayas, Africa Leadership Academy, South Africa
  • Munoh Adeline Ajeck, Enko Bonanjo International School, Cameroon
  • Bokani Moyo, Dominican Convent School, Zimbabwe
  • Mary Appiah-Adjei, St. Louis Senior High School, Ghana
Fulgence Nyabenda
Emerging Counselor of the Year
Fulgence Nyabenda

Lycée du Saint Esprit, Burundi

Nominees:

  • Fulgence Nyabenda, Lycée du Saint Esprit, Burundi
  • Jonathan Andwati, St. Andrew's School, Kenya
  • Ketevan Maghlakelidze, Enko Riverside International School, Mozambique
  • Abraham H. Barry, SMART Liberia, Changemakers Village, Liberia
Dexter Padayachee
Counselor of the Year
Dexter Padayachee

African Leadership Academy, South Africa

Nominees:

Emi Morita
Outstanding Engagement
Emi Morita

York University, Canada

Whitney Green

Columbia University, United States

Nominees:

  • Megan Mankerian-Stem, Creighton University, United States
  • Sue Hopkinson, University of Kent, United Kingdom
  • Emi Morita, York University, Canada
  • Carla Andersen, Lane Community College, United States
Linet Aguko
Counseling-Based Approach to Student Recruitment/Admissions
Linet Aguko

United States International University, Kenya

Nominees:

  • Collège du Saint Esprit, Mauritius
  • Waterford Kamhlaba United World College, Eswatini
  • Enko La Gaieté International School, Cameroon
USAP Community School,
School of the Year for Transformative Counseling Award
USAP Community School,

Zimbabwe

Nominees:

  • Arsalan Humayun,  Beaconhouse School System, Pakistan
  • Denise Clement, The Beacon Academy, Philippines
Aishath Hussain Mohamed
Emerging Counselor of the Year
Aishath Hussain Mohamed

Maldives

Nominees:

  • Rahul Rai, Ullens School, Nepal
  • Regina Anindya Tantri, British School Jakarta, Indonesia
  • Jason Holly, Hong Kong International School, Hong Kong
  • Tiffany Knight, St. Mary's International School, Japan
Wilson Lee
Counselor of the Year
Wilson Lee

Singapore American School, Singapore

Nominees:

  • Megan Mankerian-Stem, Creighton University, United States
  • Shawn Moore, Bard College, United States
Daeshik Jung
Outstanding Engagemenent
Daeshik Jung

Yonsei University's Graduate School of International Studies, Republic of South Korea

Nominees:

  • Sam Wong, Hong Kong Baptist University, China
Jess Strong
Counseling-Based Approach to Student Recruitment/Admissions
Jess Strong

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States

Nominees:

School of Leadership Afghanistan
School of the Year for Transformative Counseling Award
School of Leadership Afghanistan

Afghanistan

Nominees:

  • Saumya Tripathi, Unison World School, India
  • Soju Salam, KC High, India
  • Sana Kapur, Sanskriti School, India
Sapna Goel
Emerging Counselor of the Year
Sapna Goel

Mayo College, India

Nominees:

  • Sameer Arora, Legacy School Bangalore, India
  • Nitina Dua, Shiv Nadar School, India
  • Asma Ansari, Daly College Indore, India
  • Sanjukta Poddar, Calcutta International School, India
Ambika Kaul
Counselor of the Year
Ambika Kaul

Delhi Public School, India

Nominees:

  • Vikram Patel, Krea University, India
  • Sagar Bahadur, The University of Queensland, India
  • Seetha Dronamraju, University of Waterloo, India
  • Bulbul Chaudhary, ISDI Mumbai, India
Ankur Vohra
Outstanding Engagemenent
Ankur Vohra

O.P. Jindal Global University, India

Nominees:

  • Kanchi Khanna, Sr. Director Admissions and Outreach, Plaksha
  • Vir Anand, Director – University of St Andrews Global Office India, University of St Andrews, Scotland
  • Amber Longtin, Senior International Admissions Counselor, Michigan State University
  • Ankur Vohra, Director-Outreach & International Admissions, O.P. Jindal Global University
Seetha Dronamraju
Counseling-Based Approach to Student Recruitment/Admissions
Seetha Dronamraju

University of Waterloo, India

Nominees:

  • Oberoi International School, India
  • The International School Bangalore, India
  • Heritage Xperiential Learning School, India
The Shri Ram School & Legacy School Bangalore
School of the Year for Transformative Counseling Award
The Shri Ram School & Legacy School Bangalore

Nominees:

Marcos Leandro M. Morris
Emerging Counselor of the Year
Marcos Leandro M. Morris

SEB Dinatos COC High School, Brazil

Angel Ma

Alliance Academy International, Ecuador

Nominees:

  • Gerardo de Vega, Golden Valley School, Costa Rica
  • Ray Marx, Fundación Colegio Americano de Quito, Ecuador
Jennifer Tassell
Counselor of the Year
Jennifer Tassell

Head of the Counseling Department, International School of Panama, Panama City, Panama

Nominees:

  • Guillermo Callejo Goena, Ecuador Universidad de Navarra, Spain
  • Kevin Fuchs, Maastricht University, Netherlands
Ed Bustos
Outstanding Engagemenent
Ed Bustos

Rollins College, United States

Nominees:

  • Fred Johnson,  Southern New Hampshire University, United States
  • Seth Walker, Indiana University, United States
Renee Loayza-Damergi
Counseling-Based Approach to Student Recruitment/Admissions
Renee Loayza-Damergi

Lynn University, United States

Nominees:

Carolyn O'Keefe
Counseling-Based Approach to Student Recruitment/Admissions
Carolyn O'Keefe

Memorial University of Newfoundland

Tshidiso Konese

University of Johannesburg

Nominees:

Ramiro Campos
Haile-Manas Academy

Shelly Jain
Enko Riviera

Munyangabo Cleo Ingabire
Gashora Girls Academy of Science & Technology

Ramiro Campos
Emerging Counselor of the Year
Ramiro Campos

Haile-Manas Academy

Nominees:

Arsène Mabadjam Katawa
EDULCOD-Togo

Cassandra Ford
UWC East Africa

Arsène Mabadjam Katawa
Counselor of the Year
Arsène Mabadjam Katawa

EDULCOD-Togo

Nominees:

Gashora Girls Academy Of Science & Technology

Central School

African Leadership Academy

Gashora Girls Academy Of Science & Technology
School of the Year for Transformative Counseling
Gashora Girls Academy Of Science & Technology

Nominees:

Lena Adely
Counseling-Based Approach to Student Recruitment/Admissions
Lena Adely

Sarah Lawrence College

Nominees:

Revelyn Fernandes
Escola Concept

Paulina Bula
American School of Belo Horizonte

Revelyn Fernandes
Emerging Counselor of the Year
Revelyn Fernandes

Escola Concept

Nominees:

Katie Leishear
Colegio Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Rachel Dillon
The American School Foundation, A.C.

Natalia Becerra Rodriguez
Colegio Anglo Colombiano

Adam Kendis
Santa Cruz Cooperative School

Katie Leishear
Counselor of the Year
Katie Leishear

Colegio Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Nominees:

International School of Panama

La Escuela de Lancaster A.C.

Escuela Sierra Nevada

International School of Panama
School of the Year for Transformative Counseling
International School of Panama

Nominees:

Shirshika Kapoor
City Montessori School, Lucknow

Rashi Dixit
City Montessori School, Mahanagar Branch

Nidhi Madura
Seth Anandram Jaipuria School

Ganesh Aranya
Pitts Modern School Gomia

Anchita Kapoor
Shiv Nadar School Faridabad

Heena Virani
VIBGYOR Group of Schools - Current and Transition Global Indian International School

Shirshika Kapoor
Emerging Counselor of the Year
Shirshika Kapoor

City Montessori School, Lucknow

Nominees:

Priya Gupta
The International School Bangalore

Ritika Agarwal
Ebenezer International School Bangalore

Nidhi Madura
Seth Anandram Jaipuria School

Priya Gupta
Counselor of the Year
Priya Gupta

The International School Bangalore

Nominees:

Mariam Hasan
Beaconhouse College Program Gulberg

Joshua Coblyn
Hanoi International School

Mariam Hasan
Emerging Counselor of the Year
Mariam Hasan

Beaconhouse College Program Gulberg

History of the IC3 Awards

The IC3 Awards were created by the IC3 Movement to recognize outstanding work in the field of career and college counseling. With the intention to inspire and encourage, not to compare or compete, IC3 is proud to celebrate counseling champions aligned with the mission of career and college counseling in every school.

The first IC3 Awards ceremony took place at the 2nd Annual IC3 Conference in 2017. Aimed at felicitating schools, counselors and universities that stand out for their contributions to the field of career and college counseling, the IC3 Awards have become a highly anticipated fixture at the IC3 events every year. Awardees are selected by a jury, and announced annually.

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