Margaret Hollingsworth
Senior School Counselor | College & Career Readiness | Student Crisis Response
New York
Professional Summary
Senior School Counselor with extensive experience administering comprehensive guidance programs across New York secondary schools. Dedicated to fostering student academic resilience, postsecondary readiness, and holistic social-emotional well-being through collaborative consultation with families, faculty, and community partners.
Professional Experience
Morningside Heights Preparatory Academy
New York, NY
Lead School Counselor
Aug 2018 – Present
- Lead comprehensive developmental counseling program for an assigned caseload of 240 high school students, supporting academic planning, emotional wellness, and postsecondary pathways.
- Direct annual college application and financial aid advisory cycles, organizing dual-enrollment advising, FAFSA completion clinics, and institutional scholarship tracking.
- Chair school crisis intervention team, facilitating immediate threat assessments, grief counseling protocols, and coordinated referrals with community mental health providers.
- Coordinate 504 accommodation reviews and multidisciplinary Individualized Education Program (IEP) conferences in partnership with teachers, parents, and school psychologists.
- Mentor early-career counselors and graduate practicum interns on ethical recordkeeping, family conferencing, and caseload management.
Harborview Regional Secondary School
Brooklyn, NY
School Counselor
Sep 2011 – Jun 2018
- Provided academic guidance, career exploration, and crisis support for grades 9 through 12 within an 850-student public secondary school.
- Implemented school-wide Naviance platform integration to streamline college transcript processing and standardized career interest inventories.
- Delivered classroom-based guidance modules focusing on high school graduation benchmarks, transcript literacy, and stress management strategies.
- Partnered with attendance committees to create restorative re-engagement plans, reducing chronic absenteeism in the 10th-grade cohort.
Education
Hunter College
Master of Science · Counselor Education and School Counseling · New York, NY · 3.9 GPA · Sep 1989 – May 1991
Completed CACREP-accredited program emphasizing developmental guidance curricula, adolescent crisis intervention, and family systems consultation. Completed clinical practicum and internship across secondary public school settings.
State University of New York at Albany
Bachelor of Arts · Psychology · Albany, NY · Cum Laude · Sep 1983 – May 1987
Undergraduate coursework focused on developmental psychology, educational sociology, and behavioral assessment methods.
Advising Initiatives
First-Generation College Pathways Workshop Series
Sep 2022 – Apr 2023
- Established an evening series connecting first-generation college applicants and their families with regional admissions representatives, bilingual financial aid counselors, and alumni mentors.
- Authored a structured resource handbook detailing matriculation deadlines, fee waivers, and state-specific educational opportunity program prerequisites.
Core Competencies
Academic Advisement
College & Career Counseling
Crisis De-escalation
504 & IEP Collaboration
Student Information Systems (SIS)
Postsecondary Financial Aid Guidance
Restorative Behavioral Practices
Standardized Test Interpretation
Parent & Faculty Consultation
Multidisciplinary Case Conferencing
Languages
English
C2
Spanish
B1
Certifications & Licensure
Permanent Certification in School Counseling (PreK-12)
New York State Education Department · May 2013
National Certified School Counselor (NCSC)
National Board for Certified Counselors · Sep 2017
Community Involvement
Manhattan Youth Alliance Network
New York, NY · Sep 2019 – Jun 2021
- Youth Advisory Volunteer
- Facilitated evening family literacy and high school transition workshops for newly relocated immigrant families in Upper Manhattan.