MADISON – Dr. Melanie Cole has earned one of the most prestigious honors in counseling — the Recognition of Accountability, Verification and Excellence or RAVE award.

Cole accepted her honor at the Alabama School Counselors Conference held in Birmingham in November 2018. She works as counselor at St. John the Baptist Catholic School.

Since 2004, counselors have received the RAVE award for their personal commitment and their school’s focus on demonstrating effective communication. Recipients also support the implementation of an outcome-based, data-driven approach to the school counseling program.

“In the classroom setting, my goal is to provide students educational and practical lessons geared towards teaching students social, moral and problem-solving skills while integrating our faith and biblical teachings,” Cole said. “I feel blessed that God called me to this vocation.”

Educators modeled the Recognition of Accountability Verification and Excellence Award after the Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance Model for Alabama Public Schools (state plan). An advisory group of Alabama school counselors, counselor educators, supervisors in the systems and districts and the Alabama Department of Education developed the state plan.

“I have had the blessing of serving as Melanie’s principal at St. John’s for the last three years,” St. John Principal Sherry Lewis said. “For students, Melanie is an advocate and always strives to improve the way we reach our student community.”

Cole attended the University of Arizona, Virginia Commonwealth University and Argosy University in Sarasota, Fla. She earned a doctorate’s degree in counseling psychology. Cole is a Licensed Professional Counselor or LPC for the state of Alabama and holds the National Certified Counseling Certificate or NBCC.

During her career, Cole has worked in both public and private school communities. Before joining St. John’s faculty, she worked in Huntsville and Madison city schools in grades K-12.

Founded in 1996, St. John is a Catholic, co-educational school for kindergarten through eighth grade. The Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama sponsors St. John.

The school holds accreditation from AdvancED (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools) and membership in the National Catholic Education Association.

For more information, visit stjohnb.com.