Local high school counselor and BRTC concurrent instructor, Donna Pinkston, was recently recognized for her accomplishments.
Pinkston, counselor at Hoxie High School, received the 2014-2015 Secondary School Counselor of the Year Award from the Arkansas School Counselor Association. She said receiving this award has been an honor, and she hopes her community and school have been honored as well.
Pinkston has been a counselor at Hoxie School for thirty-four year. In addition to being a counselor, she has also taught concurrent sociology courses for BRTC since 2001. These courses allow high school students to earn both high school and college credits simultaneously, and Pinkston is proud to teach them. “I love the concurrent program because my students at Hoxie have the opportunity to work toward college credit. Teaching these college classes also refreshes me. I have to be in the know, on top of things…and push them toward college.” Pinkston has been described by Sarah Waltermire, Coordinator of Student Recruitment and Concurrent Enrollment, as one of BRTC’s biggest advocates. Waltermire added, “The fact that she is the counselor and a concurrent instructor speaks to her willingness to facilitate the partnership that exists between us.” Her mother, Patsy Hicks, is a BRTC student and has enrolled in two of her daughter’s classes.