School Counselor Karen Winfield Selected as Educational Services Professional of the Year at Somerset County Vocational & Technical High School

Karen Winfield, a School Counselor at Somerset County Vocational & Technical High School (SCVTHS), has been selected as the district’s 2024-2025 Educational Services Professional of the Year. Mrs. Winfield is known for being kind, being supportive, and being a fierce advocate for her students who is dedicated to providing them with the resources they need to succeed.

“Mrs. Winfield is very deserving of the Educational Support Services Professional of the Year award.” said Director of Special Services Maria Johnson. “She is a supportive school counselor who goes above and beyond to assist the students in her caseload. Her supportive nature and years of school counseling experience promotes a positive and nurturing environment for all those who learn and work at SCVTHS.”

Mrs. Winfield holds a Bachelor’s degree from Rider University and a Master’s degree from Rutgers University. She has been an educator for twenty-four years, spending seven years teaching business at Bridgewater Raritan HS before becoming a school counselor at SCVTHS seventeen years ago. She jokes that she has spent almost half her life in high school.

This year, she is working with students in several CTE programs, as well as all students in the Technical Occupational Preparation for Success (TOPS) Alternative Education Program, and with seniors enrolled in The Academy for Health & Medical Sciences. Mrs. Winfield finds satisfaction in helping students “get to the roots of what is holding them back, or what they're struggling with, and then coming up with solutions.” She added that her favorite part of her work is when she gets to “sit down and have conversations with the kids, and connect with them and really get to help them” as they navigate a variety of academic, social, and general life skills issues, while also preparing them for the transition to career or college.

When she is not at SCVTHS, Mrs. Winfield enjoys spending time with her husband, her three children, and her dogs. Her family likes to go camping and spend time outdoors, and she also enjoys running, reading, and watching movies.

When asked what she thought when school administrators showed up to announce her selection as Educational Services Professional of the Year, playing musical instruments and singing, she was surprised. “I really thought it was somebody's birthday.” She said, adding “I'm honored. It's nice to be recognized and appreciated.

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