Hobbies/Sports:
Traveling; Reading; Going to the beach; Spending time with her family
Education Degrees:
Master's Degree in Counseling, University of South Florida, Tampa (1979); Bachelor's Degree in German and French, University of South Florida, Tampa (1973)
Affiliations Awards:
Georgia School Counselors Association; Georgia Association for Career and Technical Education
Charity:
Stephen Minister, Saint Simon's Presbyterian Church
Number Of Years In Profession:
21
Number Of Years In Current Position:
8
What Does He/She Attribute Success To:
She attributes her success to hard work, dedication, her love and concern for children and wanting to see them succeed.
Why did you become involved in your profession or industry?:
She became involved in her profession because her former mother-in-law was a counselor at the college level, and she felt that she had considerable life experience, and could relate to the students. She also loves working with children.
Extended Bio Profile:
Mrs. Votsis is a high school counselor, which entails taking a sophomore class and rotating with the students. She remains with the sophomore class all during their junior and senior year as well. She was previously at Frederica Academy for seven years, where she served as the pre-kindergarten-12th grade counselor. She started her career as an elementary counselor, so she has worked with children of all ages. She is married to a retired federal agent who has served in Washington, Tampa, New York, Miami and Los Angeles. The couple have two children: Alexa graduated from Glynn Academy in 2005 and from Georgia Tech with a major in building construction in May 2009; Anthony graduated from Frederica Academy in 2008 and is attending the University of Georgia, majoring in international affairs and Communication. Ms. Votsis, who volunteers as a Stephen Minister, defines it as a child of God who walks beside a person who is hurting, a congregational member with gifts for caregiving, who is carefully selected to serve in this role, a lay person who has received extensive training in providing emotional and spiritual care, a caring Christian friend who listens, cares, prays, supports, and encourages, someone who will "be there" for his or her care receiver, meeting faithfully for about an hour each week, for as long as there is a need.
Position Responsibilities and Duties:
Hosting individual sessions with students; Providing classroom guidance; Holding conferences and information sessions with parents; Holding consultations with teachers and community agencies; Making referrals to community agencies; Handling
test preparation and interpretation; Providing support for social and emotional issues; Administering guidance for attendance or discipline problems; Advising about courses and colleges; Counseling on careers; Helping with college tours
Awards/Honors:
Counselor of the Year, High School (2007); Counselor of the Year Elementary, (1985)
Where Will You Be In 5 Years:
In five years, Mrs. Votsis hopes to be retired, and wants to volunteer with an advocacy group to work with students who were removed from their homes due to neglect or abuse.