Westminster College Counselor Receives National Award

BUCKHEAD, GA - From Westminster Day School: Westminster is pleased to announce Nancy Beane, associate director of college counseling, was honored with the 2017 Marty Elkins Award for Excellence in College Counseling by the Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools (ACCIS).

Presented at the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) annual conference in Boston Thursday, September 14, the Marty Elkins Award recognizes an independent school college counselor whose work enriches the profession and who best embodies the principles of the ACCIS Mission Statement of guiding students and their families through the college admission process and providing the professional development, mentorship, and thought leadership to promote ethical and student-centered educational policies and practices.

"I was highly honored and completely surprised by the award,” says Beane. “On behalf of so many counselors, including our incredible team at Westminster, I was humbled to accept that award. The support I've received from Steve Frappier, our director, and from Sarbeth Fleming, Juan Acosta, Anthea Economy, and Stacey Smith, as well as from the administration and the entire Westminster community through the years has allowed me to have the opportunities I have been afforded."

Beane, a Westminster college counselor for the last 25 years, is the current president of NACAC and will complete her term at the end of September. As president, she presides over nearly 16,000 members including high school counselors from private and public schools, independent counselors, and representatives from community-based organizations and colleges. At the end of her tenure, she will serve on the Board of Directors as Immediate Past President for one year.

“During the nomination period for the Marty Elkins Award for Excellence in College Counseling, Nancy received multiple nominations from her peers, and some recurring themes include the way she observes challenging national trends and applies empathetic reinforcement and consideration to the students in her care,” said Steve Frappier, director of college counseling at Westminster. “Nancy is known as a mentor, but she also unselfishly seeks to learn from others, too. At the end of a tremendous year of leadership as NACAC president, Nancy was the clear choice for this highest distinction from ACCIS, an organization that includes more than 1,400 members in 550 independent schools across the country.”

Beane has been active in several other organizations, including the College Board, Southern Association for College Admission Counseling (SACAC), Georgia School Counselor Association, and Georgia Independent College Association. She served as President of SACAC in 2004-2005, served on the Board of Directors of NACAC from 2008-2011, and was a member of the Board of Trustees for ACCIS from 2012-2015.

Image via Westminster Day School