In her internship at Benjamin Franklin High School’s Education Opportunity Program (ELP), Penn GSE student Celine Finley supports adults returning to finish their high school degrees. But now she has received support for her own academic journey.
Finley was chosen as the first-ever recipient of Penn GSE’s Linda Leibowitz School Counselor Scholarship, an honor she calls both “exciting” and deeply motivating. Named in honor of a 22-year School District of Philadelphia counselor and longtime co-director of GSE’s School and Mental Health Counseling program, the $3,500 one-year scholarship is awarded to an outstanding student in that program doing an internship in a Philadelphia public school.
“I was so excited to be chosen because I feel like I closely align with the ideal candidate as someone who has a passion for school counseling and education,” said Finley.
The scholarship marks a major milestone in her journey, which began when she left Arkansas and arrived at Penn as an undergraduate studying cultural and linguistic anthropology. After graduating during the pandemic, she built a career around helping young people succeed. She supported high school juniors in a college-readiness course, helped KIPP alumni navigate the transition to college across more than 30 campuses, and even taught fourth grade before shifting into her current role as an attendance coach with the School District of Philadelphia.
“I always had really good rapport with students, so I felt that counseling was the right next move on my next career path,” she said.
Finley’s internship at Benjamin Franklin High School is part of her graduate studies in Penn GSE’s executive-format School and Mental Health Counseling M.S.Ed. program. Because the students she counsels are older than typical high schoolers, their needs can extend far beyond academics.
Many students, she said, need access to food, housing, or social services. “We’re not just trying to make sure you get your diploma,” said Finley. “We want to make sure you’re set up for success.”
As she approaches her May graduation, Finley says her program’s clinical training has shaped her into a more reflective, adaptable practitioner. Lessons from Marsha Richardson’s psychopathology course stand out.
“I learned there is no one way to counsel,” she said. “Being flexible is probably one of the best muscles that you have to flex. You just have to meet your clients where they’re at.”
Her goal after graduation? To secure a permanent school counseling position in Philadelphia—possibly in an elementary setting—where she can continue the work she loves. Finley is grateful for the Leibowitz scholarship helping to fund her final year of graduate school while she works, and she hopes that the recipients who come after her will be similarly supported so they can continue to serve the local community.
“I'm hoping that the scholarship creates opportunity for future counselors to pursue their passion without feeling like there's a financial barrier,” said Finley. “I think the SMHC program breeds a lot of great counselors, and maybe the scholarship will help inspire us to keep counselors in Philly.”
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