Knaup named school Counselor of the Year

Cape Girardeau school counselor Kati Knaup was recently named the 2020 Southeast Missouri School Counselor Association’s Elementary Counselor of the Year, the school district announced.

The surprise award was made at the organization’s recent banquet, held at the Cape Career & Technology Center, said district spokeswoman Kristin Tallent.

Knaup joined Blanchard Elementary in fall 2014, Tallent said, and has served as a school counselor for six years.

“Working directly with students is what I love most about my job,” Knaup said in a news release. “I am the most fulfilled as a school counselor when I am working with individual students and small groups.”

She continued, “School counseling has changed a lot since I was a student. Most people are surprised to know how much time I spend with students teaching skills proactively. Many view the school counselor as the person who helps students when there is a problem at home or school. This is true. However, I spend the majority of my time teaching students social/emotional skills that will serve them well in school and in life.”

Knaup is originally from St. Louis, and is a Southeast Missouri State University graduate. She also holds a Masters of Science in education from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale and is pursuing a specialist in school counseling.