A Villages High School counselor with strong ties to the Fruitland Park area was recognized recently by Lake-Sumter State College.
Merideth Brock, a longtime teacher and counselor at the charter school, was among five who were honored for their partnerships with the college in support of their students. The group was recognized at the college’s annual Counselors’ Conference last week.
“Our LSSC staff would not be able to do their work without the strong partnerships from local high school counselors,” said Jenni Kotowski, LSSC’s executive director of enrollment management. “These counselors support and assist their students through each step of the college decision and enrollment process.”
Brock is a graduate of the University of Central Florida who began her educational career as a math teacher at the middle and high school levels. The former teacher of the year taught at Jackson Heights Middle School in Oviedo and in the Lake County School system at Tavares Middle School and Leesburg High School.
Brock, who is known for always going above and beyond to help her students and fellow staff members, took a sabbatical from teaching from 2000-10 while her three children were born. During that time, she went back to school at Liberty University to complete her master’s degree in school counseling. In 2010, Brock re-entered the workplace by becoming a school counselor for The Villages Charter School, where she has served at the primary, intermediate and fourth/fifth-grade centers before moving to the high school four years ago.
Brock and her husband, Sidney, have been married for 31 years. He serves as the lead pastor at Heritage Community Church in Fruitland Park and the couple has served together in ministry since before they were married in 1988.
The Brock’s oldest daughter, Abbie, graduated from VHS and is married to Landon Smith and living in Valdosta, Ga., where she is attending college. Seventeen-year-old son Caleb is a junior and 15-year-old Anna Grace a freshman at VHS.
“Merideth’s knowledge and her attention to details, combined with her care and love for students, as well as their families, makes her an incredible guidance counselor,” a proud Sidney said of his wife Friday. “Merideth is a champion and advocate for students and constantly going the extra mile to help them in any way possible. She has been blessed to enjoy serving on staff at The Villages Charter School where her children have been attending.”
Four other counselors also were recognized during LSSC’s annual conference. Those were Clarissa Saslovsky (Wildwood Middle High School), Jim DeMarco (Eustis High School), Amanda Patterson (First Academy) and Jenne Marino (East Ridge High School).
“This year’s award recipients are an excellent example of what a strong partner can do to help students in our community achieve their educational goals,” Kotowski said.
The annual Counselor’s Conference is held during National School Counseling Week. It provides an opportunity for high school counselors from across Lake and Sumter counties – including public and private schools – to meet to learn about updates in postsecondary education in the local area. Lake County Schools and Sumter County Schools also provide updates on their career and technical education opportunities.
