York schools’ Sue Hilton honored with 2nd state award

Sue Hilton, coordinator of counseling services for the York school district, has received a second statewide honor in as many months.

Hilton was named Administrator of the Year by the S.C. Counseling Association on Feb. 27 for her leadership.

In January, she was named 2014 Advocate of the Year by the Palmetto State School Counseling Association.

“It’s just so overwhelming,” Hilton said Tuesday, after being honored for the awards during a York school board meeting. “It’s such an honor to be recognized in these organizations of your peers.”

The second honor noted her leadership in implementing the Olweus bullying prevention program, coordinating the work of mental health counselors and developing a program to address the needs of students with alcohol and drug violations.

She also organizes quarterly meetings and activities for the district’s counselors, and worked to plan and implement a new Early College program that will enable high-achieving high school students to earn college credit before they graduate.

“As a veteran school counselor with more than 40 years of experience, she is able to lead from an understanding of the everyday demands of educators in general, but of school counselors in particular,” Superintendent Vernon Prosser said in announcing her award.

Donna Bailey, a counselor at York Comprehensive High School who has worked with Hilton for more than 20 years, nominated her for both awards.

Hilton, 66, started her career in education teaching biology at Northwestern High School in Rock Hill. But when she saw the needs in schools, she decided to become a school counselor.

She has spend more than two decades since then trying to address many of those needs. Her experience as a parent of two sons made her especially sensitive to some of those needs.

She has shared her own experience with one of her own sons, who was a victim of childhood bullying.

The grant-funded bullying awareness program, which began in elementary schools, is now being expanded to York Middle School and York One Academy, which were not included in the original grant.

She was director of guidance at York Comprehensive High School until two years ago, when her job was eliminated as part of budget cuts. She was rehired in a grant-funded district coordinator position.

Hilton said the grant for her position runs out in September. However, she said other grants are in the works, and she has committed to staying on if possible.

This story was originally published March 13, 2015 at 11:44 AM with the headline "York schools’ Sue Hilton honored with 2nd state award."