ELECTION RESULTS

SHERRI BARROW

Assistant Teaching Professor, Interim School Counseling Program Director | Ball State University

Why do you want to serve on the INSCA Board of Directors?

I want to serve on the INSCA Board of Directors because I believe the health of our profession depends on what we build together at the state level. I spent 15 years as a professional school counselor in urban PK-12 environments in Indianapolis before becoming a counselor educator, and I did not leave the field. I expanded my reach. What I witnessed in those years, burnout, attrition, and school counselors losing their passion, is exactly what drives my research and my teaching today.

INSCA's vision of empowering school counselors through comprehensive school counseling programs, advocacy, and data-driven practice aligns directly with the work I do every day at Ball State University. As a counselor educator and interim program director, I sit at the intersection of preparation and practice. I see what students need before they enter the field, and I hear from professional school counselors about what they need to stay in it. That perspective matters at the board level.

I want to contribute to an INSCA that does not just support school counselors in their roles, but helps them thrive in them.

What experience, skills, or qualifications do you have that would benefit INSCA?

I bring two decades of experience in and around this profession, first as an urban professional school counselor in Indianapolis and now as a counselor educator preparing the next generation of professional school counselors at Ball State University. BSU's School Counseling program is one of only seven ASCA Recognized school counselor preparation programs in the nation, and I serve as both Assistant Teaching Professor and Interim Program Director, meaning I carry responsibility for the full scope of our program at a critical moment in its history.

My scholarship is directly connected to the work Indiana school counselors do every day. My Delphi study, published in Professional School Counseling, identified the essential content areas that must ground school counselor preparation. My collaborative research on school counselor-principal-teacher relationships, published in the Journal of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies and the Mid-Western Educational Researcher, examines the collaborative leadership professional school counselors must exercise within their buildings. I also have a mixed-methods study currently under review examining AI self-efficacy among counselors-in-training, and I will be presenting that work at AERA in April 2026. My research is not separate from practice. It is designed to strengthen it.

I have served as Co-PI on a $105,591 Indiana Department of Education Comprehensive School Counseling Grant, supporting a partnership between Ball State and Muncie Community Schools to strengthen comprehensive school counseling program implementation. I know how to move from research to resources that actually reach professional school counselors in the field.

At the national level, I co-lead the ACES Transforming School Counseling Special Interest Network and serve on the EB-ACA School Counseling Committee. I have been an INSCA member since 2006 and previously served on the INSCA Advocacy Committee. I understand Indiana's landscape, including the reality that all 92 of our counties are designated mental health professional shortage areas, and I know how to translate research into advocacy that moves our profession forward.

What are your goals for INSCA if elected to the Board?

My goals are grounded in what I hear from professional school counselors every day: they want to feel connected, prepared, and valued. I want to help INSCA deliver on all three.
First, I want to strengthen the pipeline between preparation programs and INSCA membership so that graduate students across Indiana see this organization as their professional home before they ever accept their first position. Early connection builds long-term commitment to the profession and to each other.

Second, I want to bring INSCA into conversations about emerging challenges in our field, particularly around technology and AI, school counselor preparation for an evolving educational landscape, and the sustainability of our workforce. These are not future problems. They are present ones, and INSCA has an opportunity to be a leading voice.

Third, I want to support INSCA in using data and member feedback to drive strategic decisions that reflect what professional school counselors in Indiana actually need. That is the work I do in my program, and it is the work I want to contribute to at the board level.

MICHELLE CLARKE

Director of School Counseling | Lawrence North High School

Why do you want to serve on the INSCA Board of Directors?

I am motivated to seek a board position with the Indiana School Counselor Association because I am deeply committed to advancing the role and impact of school counselors across Indiana. In my work, and previous roles, I have seen firsthand the difference that a comprehensive school counseling programs can make for both students and the community. Serving on the INSCA board would allow me to contribute my experiences and professional knowledge in both school counseling and mental health to help our organization strengthen advocacy efforts to elevate our profession ensure counselors are providing the best counseling experience for their students.

My professional values closely align with INSCA’s mission in supporting school counselors as they foster the academic, career, and social-emotional development of all students. I am extremely passionate about helping students find success and happiness in their lives. I see the counselor role as a huge part of youth development... a critical piece of a student's educational journey. Helping students find their strengths, interests and values and connecting them with meaningful pathways after graduation is a passion of mine. I also see mental health as a critical issue that we need to address in education and school counselors are so valuable in helping students develop social emotional skills. I also care deeply about creating safe spaces that are inclusive for ALL students.

What experience, skills, or qualifications do you have that would benefit INSCA?

I have held a variety of leadership roles within education, including serving as a Counseling Specialist for the Indiana Department of Education. In that role, I contributed to the development of Carrying the Torch, now recognized as Indiana’s Comprehensive School Counseling Model. I am also a former board member and co-chair, bringing prior governance experience and a strong understanding of organizational leadership.

In addition to my K–12 experience, I have served as an adjunct instructor in the counseling program at Butler University. I have presented at numerous conferences, including those hosted by American School Counselor Association, Indiana School Counselor Association, and Indiana Association for College Admission Counseling. My statewide involvement also includes participation in the Indiana Behavioral Health Commission and the Indiana Children's Commission. I am a certified trainer in the PREPaRE Model and am deeply passionate about school behavioral health and digital safety.

Currently, I serve as a Director at a large high school in Indianapolis, where I oversee a team of eight counselors and continue to support comprehensive school counseling program.

What are your goals for INSCA if elected to the Board?

MARK HENDRICKSON

School Counselor Grades 10-12 | Randolph Central School Corporation

Why do you want to serve on the INSCA Board of Directors?

School Counseling, particularly in the State of Indiana, is at a pivotal point. Public School budget cuts and the resulting financial restructuring occurring in nearly every district resulting in massive upheaval. For School Counselors to remain active, vital parts of their school team, we must continually develop and advocate for a seat at the table and a voice to be heard. I feel my voice could add to the conversation.

What experience, skills, or qualifications do you have that would benefit INSCA?

I'm a new voice that nevertheless brings 25 years experience in a co-vocational career to the conversation. I currently serve as a mentor counselor in the RECN Counselor Action and Renewal team. The school I serve is a RECN and PCAP mentor school where we are breaking new ground in rural Randolph County. I'm a member of the INSCA Emerging Leaders Cohort 6. In addition, my career in ministry has involved membership and leadership in several Denominational boards that function similarly to the INSCA Board of Directors.

What are your goals for INSCA if elected to the Board?

I'm particularly passionate about School Counselor advocacy and ethics. I would love to see INSCA be even more effective at encouraging and promoting data-driven research on issues important to us, and then facilitate presenting that research to the powers-that-be in local and state school boards. We have to find a way to turn some of these issues (such as student and staff resiliency and mental health) into quantifiable data points. I'm convinced the data is what might get their attention, and INSCA has a role in that.