In honor of National School Counseling Week (#NSCW26), Appily announced its 2026 Counselor of the Year Award winner and four honorable mentions, all selected based on student nominations.

Jackie Sutton is a guidance counselor and administrative assistant at Lima High School in Lima, Montana.

“When I first learned I’d been named Appily’s 2026 Counselor of the Year, I was truly surprised and deeply humbled,” Jackie Sutton explained. “Being nominated by my students means so much, and it reminded me that the one-on-one relationships I work hard to build every day matter to them as much as they matter to me.”

Appily received a high volume of nominations from students across the country and recognized five counselors whose day-to-day support makes a real difference in students’ academic planning, personal growth, and postsecondary confidence.

“School counselors do a thousand invisible things that help students keep going,” said Yolanda Coleman, Director of Counselor Marketing. “These nominations made one thing obvious: students remember the moments when a counselor helped them feel safe, capable, and supported.”

2026 Appily Counselor of the Year Award Winner

Jackie Sutton-Lima High School District #12, Lima, Montana

2026 Honorable Mentions

Aimee Paolo — Most Likely to Make You Feel Safe Being Yourself-Arlington High School, LaGrangeville, New York

Eric Traynor — Most Likely to Be the Reason You Didn’t Give Up-Valley High School, West Des Moines, Iowa

Caitlin Kauffmann — Most Likely to Stand Up for You-Howell High School, Englishtown, New Jersey

Brad Strehle — Most Likely to Make It Sound Easy-Hesperia High School, Hesperia, California

About the nominations

Appily opened nominations to students earlier this year, inviting them to spotlight a counselor who helped them navigate everything from schedules and college applications to everyday life stress.

About National School Counseling Week

National School Counseling Week (#NSCW26) is recognized February 2–6, 2026, and celebrates the impact school counselors have in helping students succeed in school and plan for the future.

About Appily

Appily is a comprehensive college-planning resource that connects students with tools for exploring schools, financing options, and campus fit — all in one place. The Easy Money Scholarship exemplifies Appily’s commitment to reducing the stress and complexity of financing higher education.

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