The Hawaii School Counselor Association has recognized the outstanding elementary and secondary school counselors of the year, as well as a counselor advocate of the year.

Lisa Tominaga, school counselor at Holomua Elementary, is the Elementary School Counselor of the Year for the 2008-09 school year. She created the Peer Mediation Program, among others..

Rick Yamashiro, school counselor at Campbell High School, is the Secondary School Counselor of the Year. He has helped bring the dropout rate at Campbell to as low as 2.4 percent

Catherine Kilborn, principal at 'Iao Intermediate, is the Counselor Advocate of the Year. She increased the number of counselors at the school from two to five and upgraded counseling facilities.

In the fall, the association will seek nominees for its Counselor of the Year and Counselor Advocate of the Year for 2009-10.

For more information, contact Lisa Okazaki, president of the Hawaii School Counselor Association, at 622-6393, ext. 263, or hawaiisca@yahoo.com.