Dr. Jonathan Ricks, an assistant professor at UNC Pembroke, has been named Counselor Educator of the Year by the North Carolina School Counselor Association (NCSCA).

Ricks was honored during the association’s annual conference in Concord, N.C., held November 2-4. The award recognizes a counselor educator for outstanding accomplishments in teaching, mentoring and advising, which has prepared individuals for careers as effective school counseling professionals.

Ricks has been a member of the faculty since 2017. He currently serves as the professional school counseling graduate program director and the play therapy graduate certificate program coordinator.

“I am honored to receive this award from NCSCA, and I owe much gratitude to my colleagues and students in the Department of Counseling and all the faculty and staff at UNC Pembroke for providing an excellent environment to train future school counselors,” Ricks said.

Dr. Nicole Stargell, chair of the Department of Counseling, attended the award presentation along with several current students and UNCP counseling graduates.