Ms. Theodora R. Nelson 

Position: School Counselor 
Degree(s): B.S. in Secondary Education Biology & M.S. in K-12 School Counseling

 

 

 

I completed my undergraduate degree at California University of Pennsylvania in 1991. I began my career as a 7th-grade Life Science Teacher. As a high school Biology Teacher, I participated in the Pittsburgh Teacher's Institute, a collaboration between the Pittsburgh Public Schools, Chatham University, and Carnegie Mellon University. I also participated in multiple summer programs, RET (Research Experience for Teachers), at John Hopkins University (2000), Carnegie Mellon University (2002), and the University of Pittsburgh (2004). In 1994, I attended Duquesne University, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and earned a dual master's degree in Elementary and Secondary School Counseling. 

 

In 2008, I moved to Arizona and embarked on my career in School Counseling. In 2013, I was awarded the A.C.T.E.A.Z. Counselor of the year. For nine years, I served as a School Counselor in a small suburban school district west of Phoenix and a large urban district east of Phoenix. At the end of the 2017-2018 school year, I decided to return to the classroom as a Secondary Biology Teacher. As a Teacher and Counselor, I facilitate academic lessons and interventions to increase student achievement and assist students with their goal of graduation and post-secondary pathway choices. I aim to develop collaborative relationships with the staff at Bostrom Alternative Center in support of the school's mission.