Owen Named Counselor Educator of the Year by Top California Professional Association

Over the past decade spent in higher education, Laura Owen estimates she has trained more than 300 school counselors. Knowing the difference those professionals make on a daily basis at school sites from coast to coast is a big part of what she enjoys about the job.

“I love teaching students who are going to go out in the field,” said Owen, a lecturer in San Diego State University’s Department of Counseling and School Psychology. “I know they're going to impact thousands of lives over the course of their careers. To see the new generation that's preparing to go out — I can't wait to see what's going to happen in our schools.”

Owen was recently named 2023 Counselor Educator of the Year by the California Association of School Counselors (CASC). With more than 3,000 members, CASC is the state’s largest professional association for school counselors.

“Awards are a funny thing,” said Owen, who will be honored on Oct. 5 at CASC’s annual conference in Riverside. “I feel like my journey has been about other people — who I've been able to work with and collaborate with. So I'm definitely humbled by and appreciative of the recognition, but also keenly aware that there are a lot of people who would be deserving."

This is Owen’s second stint at San Diego State — her first was as director of the School Counseling program. She has also served on the faculty at Johns Hopkins University and American University. 

Last year, the expert in closing college opportunity gaps became founder and executive director of the Center for Equity and Postsecondary Attainment at SDSU. She is currently working on a Kresge Foundation-funded project to study COVID’s harmful impact on college enrollment out of high school.

Before entering academia, Owen was a high school counselor in New Mexico and Utah. She then spent six years as a school counselor supervisor in Albuquerque.

"My whole career has been about either working as a school counselor, training school counselors or teaching students who are preparing to go into the field,” Owen said. “I look at all of those experiences and I think about the incredible opportunity that I've had to meet amazing, passionate educators who want to go into schools — especially in the last few years when it's been a fairly challenging environment for school counselors nationwide.”

Owen lauds school counselors for taking a holistic approach to the student, providing everything from social-emotional and academic support to college and career planning. 

She added that SDSU’s school counseling program has particularly excelled at producing advocates for marginalized students.

“I believe SDSU really walks the talk in preparing counselors to be social justice advocates — to look at equity and access,” Owen said. “Our students are diverse and they're ready to go in and work in communities that have been marginalized. 

“I'm happy to be at a university that is doing what others say needs to be done."