President's Letter: Connecting and Inspiring

Hello! My name is Mr. Royce Hooks, Sr., and I’m a school counselor at Edna Karr High School in New Orleans and the new president of the Louisiana School Counselor Association. I’m currently a PLPC (provisional licensed professional counselor), a member of the Louisiana Counseling Association (LCA) and a member of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). I received my bachelor of science in Health and Human Performance from Iowa State University where I was also a member of the football team. I received my masters of counselor education from Nicholls State University. I have been a school counselor for 10 years in the New Orleans Public School System. Something many people don’t know about me is that I am certified in personal training through the International Alliance for Fitness Professionals. It will be a pleasure serving our community of school counselors.
Here are a few quotes that should remind us why we do this work and keep us encouraged.

1. Get up every morning and remind yourself, “I can do this!”
2. Pull away from what does not push you forward.
3. Be the change that you want to see in the world.

I’m looking forward to working closely with you to improve personal, social, academic, and developmental counseling services in our schools. My goal as president of LSCA is to build on the traditions our association has established. I want to complete what has been started and help counselors connect to share how they assisted in overcoming barriers and achieving greater academic success. As school counselors, I believe we have the answers we need. Because we often work alone or in very small groups, LSCA can provide the venue for us to connect and share our expertise. That sharing could improve counseling throughout the entire state.

Thank you for electing me, and I’m looking forward to a great year!

Contact Royce Hooks, LSCA president, at Royce_hooks@yahoo.com.