Britane Bednar (’13) has spent the last seven years in a career she loves as a school counselor for Highlands Middle School.

Bednar grew up in the small town of Minerva, Ohio, and received her undergraduate degree from Kent State University in 2007. When she began looking at master’s options, Northern Kentucky University’s School Counseling program stood out.

“I knew I wanted to go somewhere smaller and more personalized,” she says. “I really liked that about NKU.”

During her time here, Bednar became a member of Chi Sigma Iota—the academic fraternity for counselors. She enjoyed her courses and found her assessment course with Dr. Hatchett to be her favorite. Bednar recalls that Dr. Hatchett was an amazing professor who always pushed her to do her best and was able to teach difficult content with humor and clarity.

For Bednar, NKU was accessible. Between the affordability of NKU’s graduate classes and the individualized experience in classes, she thought the university was a great school for her needs.

“Everyone I had the pleasure of meeting and working with during my time at NKU was helpful, kind and put in effort to help me succeed,” she says.

Bednar has been very successful in her career and has received several accolades: Kentucky School Counselor Association (KSCA) Middle School Counselor of the Year in 2016; KSCA Middle School Vice President in 2017; and KSCA President-Elect in 2018. She now serves as the current KSCA president.

“I’m very fortunate to be doing what I hoped,” she says. “Without my degree, I wouldn’t get to do what I love.”

Bednar’s greatest passion in her career is supporting her students, building relationships with them and removing the barriers to their success.

"As most school counselors will tell you, there is absolutely no typical day—which is what I love most,” she says.