'So Many Reasons To Love What I Do:' Naperville North Counselor Wins Statewide Honor

NAPERVILLE, IL — Naperville North Counselor Angelo Georgacopoulos was recently named the High School Counselor of the Year by the Illinois School Counselor Assocaition. Georgacopoulos, who began working as a counselor at Naperville North in 2012, told Patch he loves being someone students can "come to for support, encouragement, or just an honest conversation."

Georgacopoulos, who also has his own practice as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, said he initially wanted to be a pediatrician when he was in college, but a Psychology 101 class inspired him to change his major. He said it was his wife, Vicky, then his girlfriend, who suggested he become a school counselor.

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"As usual, she was right, and the rest is history," Georgacopoulos said.

During his time at Naperville North, Georgacopoulos has spearheaded initiatives to help high school students.

This year marks the third year for Career Takeover, an initiative that connects students with working professionals for informational sessions. The high school also hosts a career fair.

"When I first came up with Career Takeover, I had about two months to put it together. A few people laughed and thought I was a little ambitious, but that probably just motivated me more," Georgacopoulos told Patch.

He added, "I ended up bringing in over 100 career speakers and creating an experience that gave our students a chance to explore possibilities for their futures."

The Career Takeover aligns with the mission of the International College Fair, which Georgacopoulos brought to Naperville North three years ago to introduce students to educational opportunities outside the United States.

"Being a proud Greek and someone who loves traveling with my family has opened my eyes to how much the world has to offer," Georgacopoulos said. "Visiting universities abroad made me want to bring those possibilities back to our students. Depending on the university and program, studying
internationally can offer financial advantages and opportunities to earn a degree in less time.
More than anything, I want students to know they have options."

He said there were eight universities in attendance during the first year of the International College Fair. The 2027 International College Fair is set for March 8 and Georgacopoulos said he's already got more than 30 colleges and universities signed up to take part.

Georgacopoulos is on the advisory board for the Association of International Regional Representatives of North America, a nonprofit organization that connects counselors and students with representatives from universities throughout the world.

"[M]y goal is to make Naperville North, Naperville, and DuPage County a hub for information about international
college opportunities," he said.

Georgacopoulos also started Healthy Huskie Takeover at Naperville North two years ago. He said this initiative is "especially close to [his] heart" since he is "passionate about being proactive with mental health and making those conversations positive and approachable."

Through Healthy Huskie Takeover, Georgacopoulos says he has brought in more than 80 mental health professionals to help students gain "practical skills" that are useful both in and out of the classroom.

These initiatives reflect what Georgacopoulos said he loves best about being a high school counselor.

Georgacopoulos said the job, though rewarding, is not without its challenges. He said it can be tough to get students to want to "take the first step" to take advantage of the opportunities available to them.

"My favorite thing is being there for students during a time when so much of life is new and they're trying to figure out who they are and where they want to go. There are a lot of questions, big decisions, and sometimes a little confusion along the way," he told Patch.

"Another challenge is helping students understand that one bad day or one difficult moment does not define who they are or what their future can look like. When you're in high school, those moments can feel enormous, and sometimes students need someone to help them put things in
perspective," he said.

Georgacopoulus said it's challenging that counselors can be pulled in many directions.

He said, "You always wish you had a little more time for each student."

Georgacopoulus told Patch high school counseling would improve if there were more counselors available to students.

"Building relationships is such an important part of what we do, and those relationships take time," he said. "Counselors bring so much passion and creativity to their work. Giving us the time and resources to build on that would make a real difference for students."

Even though Georgacopoulus sees the impact of is work through is daily interactions with students, he said it's still "surreal" to have been named High School Counselor of the Year.

"I don't do this work for awards, but receiving recognition like this makes me pause and think, 'Hey, the work I'm doing is making a difference.' That means a lot," he told Patch.

He said he's grateful counselors are recognized in this way, as it brings to light the breadth and impact of the work they do.

"There's so much care, time, and effort that happens behind the scenes," Georgacopoulos said. "If this recognition helps people better understand how important school counselors are to our students and schools, that makes it even more meaningful."