Sustaining Grant for a Therapy Dog Program at Gaston Elementary School

February 2, 2026

At Gaston Elementary School, Karissa Worst, school counselor and winner of the 2025 Don Perkins Grant, the therapy dog program supports students (and staff) who are coforted and joyful when in the presence of a non-judgemental, friendly animal. With the generous support of the OSCA Don Perkins Grant Award, she will be able to continue her work through the 2025-2026 school year. A milestone that increases empathy and compassion in children, helps students work through anger management, reduces bullying tendencies, and addresses other perosnal/social issues therefore helping students connect in the school setting and reduce anxiety.

Don Perkins Grant Winner

February 2, 2026

Congratulations to the winner of this year's Don Perkins Grant - Karissa Worst of Gaston Elementary School. The Don Perkins Grant will support their continued therapy dog program as noted above.

Congratulations to this year's Linda C. Eby Scholarship winners!

OSCA is pleased to provide scholarships for high school seniors. The goal of this scholarship is to recognize outstanding high school seniors and School Counselors in the state of Oregon.

• First Place - Aday Alemseged; Grant High School, Portland Public Schools
• Runner Up - Eldana Babis; Beaverton Early College High School, Beaverton School District
• Runner Up - Hosanna Clark; Sutherlin High School, Sutherlin School District
• Runner Up - Robert Bartman; Hermiston High School, Hermiston School District
• Runner Up - Rasneet Sidhu; Early College High School, Salem-Keizer School District

Samara Carranza named the 2025 School Counselor of the Year

Samara Carranza, school counselor at Peninsula Elementary in Portland, Oregon (Portland Public Schools) has been named the 2025 Oregon School Counselor of the Year by the Oregon School Counselor Association (OSCA). Carranza, a graduate of Portland State University Master of Arts in School Counseling, has been a school counselor for 12 years. She is also an adjunct instructor and intern supervisor at Portland State University, Graduate School of Education.

This award honors the professional school counselor who devotes their career to serving as advocates for students by addressing their academic achievement, social-emotional development, and career and college readiness.

One of her proudest accomplishments has been creating identity affinity lunch groups at the elementary level. Including Peninsula Pride, Latinos Unidos, an AAPI group, a Black Student Union, and a Native American lunch group. These safe, affirming spaces have given students a profound sense of belonging. In fact, her school saw a 16% increase in student-reported belonging thanks to her leadership.

Her leadership is also evident in school-wide initiatives like On Time and Ready to Learn, which improved attendance and reduced chronic absenteeism through creative, positive approaches.

Carranza was honored as the 2025 Oregon School Counselor of the Year at the Oregon School Counselor Association Annual Conference in Portland, OR on Friday, October 10, 2025. She will be considered a candidate for the 2027 American School Counselor Association School Counselor of the Year award.

School Counselor of the Year (SCOY)

NOW OPEN FOR NOMINATIONS

The School Counselor of the Year (SCOY) Award honors the best of the best - counselors who run a top-notch, comprehensive school counseling program at the elementary, middle or high school level. Please nominate your colleague who you feel exemplifies these qualities! The winner of the Oregon SCOY Award will receive a $1,000 monetary award, as well as travel and registration for the OSCA Annual Conference.

We also submit the Oregon SCOY to the application pool for the ASCA National School Counselor of the Year award. The Oregon SCOY will hold the privilege of representing OSCA at the ASCA SCOY Gala.

Linda C. Eby Scholarship

Congratulations to this year's winners!

• First Place - Aday Alemseged; Grant High School, Portland Public Schools
• Runner Up - Eldana Babis; Beaverton Early College High School, Beaverton School District
• Runner Up - Hosanna Clark; Sutherlin High School, Sutherlin School District
• Runner Up - Robert Bartman; Hermiston High School, Hermiston School District
• Runner Up - Rasneet Sidhu; Early College High Scool, Salem-Keizer School District

OSCA is pleased to provide three scholarships for high school seniors. The goal of this scholarship is to recognize outstanding high school seniors and School Counselors in the state of Oregon.

Linda C. Eby served as a School Counselor for 33 years. She was on the Oregon School Counselor Association Board for 20 years. Her time and commitment to this profession was recognized in the Fall of 2014 when she received the Lifetime Achievement Award and the OSCA Board named its’ first-ever high school scholarship after her. The goal of this scholarship is to recognize outstanding high school seniors and School Counselors in the state of Oregon.

Eligibility and Guidelines

• Applicants must be high school seniors planning to pursue a post-secondary education.
• Please submit an essay of no more than 500 words about a school counselor who has made a difference in your academic, career, social, and/or emotional development.
• The school counselor you are writing about must be a certified school counselor in Oregon.
• All essays must be submitted through the application form during our annual application window.

One winner will receive $3,000. Two runner-ups will each receive $1,000. Some years, we are able to provide scholarships to more than two runner-ups.

Don Perkins Professional Grant

OSCA is pleased to provide a grant for school counselors. The goal of this grant is to support school counselors in developing programs and receive training in order to benefit students.

Congratulations to this year's winner - Karissa Worst from Gaston Elementary School.

• We will share information about the next round of grant funding during the 2026 OSCA Annual Conference on October 9, 2026.
• You may request up to $500.
• OSCA members employed as school counselors are eligible.
• The most recent winner was announced on February 2, 2026.
• Recipients must spend grant funds by the end of the following school year. The exact date is provided each year. For 2025-2026, recipients must spend grant funds by June 1, 2026. Dates for 2026-2027 are to be determined.
• We honor one recipient each application cycle.

If selected to receive the Don Perkins Grant, we ask that you submit a program proposal for a break-out session at the OSCA Conference that follows receipt of a grant (i.e., if you receive a grant in April, you will propose a break-out session at next October's conference). Alternately, you can write a brief article for the OSCA newsletter describing what you did, how students benefited, and your recommendations to other school counselors, due before the OSCA Conference following receipt of grant.

Examples of programs and training OSCA has funded:

• Crisis Response training for counselors
• Library of resources for parents
• Love & Logic training for a counselor
• Peer Mediation Training of Trainers
• Incentives program to improve students’ academic success.
• Therapy Dog Program