About Jeanette

“Youth is a magical instrument.”  That quote jumped out from a novel about a young man in World War One, and for someone who works with young people, those are words to live by.  We never give up on the possibilities for a student.  I have worked in high schools on three continents as a counselor doing both college and boarding school placement. The American Embassy School in New Delhi, formerly the American International School, and the American Community High School (Lincoln) in Buenos Aires taught me much about different educational systems, and resilient students who wend their way through the diplomatic and international business lives of families who must move frequently. I have worked in a large suburban Chicago area high school, and a small rural school.  At Pennsylvania State University I supervised women’s student organizations and   ran a large dormitory while completing a Master of Science in counseling.  It is a joy to findtalent wherever I am working and I look for the strengths in all my students, because we all know how many highly successful contributors to humankind absolutely hated school.  I am a strong believer in the mind-body connection; along with a colleague we performed early research in the use of biofeedback with young childrenthrough study at the Menninger Foundation  in 1974, publishing our results in The School Counselor.. I have been in private practice since 1981.  In addition to training in counseling, I am a nationally certified school psychologist (NCSP) with a second master’s degree in School Psychology.. I have worked for years with Children’s Oncology Services Education Fund as a college counselor for cancer survivors and served on the international board of SAGE, Studies Abroad in Global Education. Currently I am a Commissioner for AICEP, the American Institute of Certified Educational Planners, and have earned the Certified Educational Planner designation, CEP.

National presentations and workshops over the past thirty-plus years include the National Association for College Admission Counseling, National Association of School Psychologists, Illinois School Psychologists Association, the Association of Educational Therapists, The College Board: presentations on testing for Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, and South, and other professional and private groups.  My book, What Do You Know? Wisdom for the Road Ahead, designed for the young adult, highlightedturning point stories of 53 Americans from many walks of life from Alaska to Hollywood. I enjoy speaking to civic and educational groups on the important messages of the book. The Independent Alliance of Small Programs presented me with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014.

You may reach Jeanette at 847-234-7211, fax 847-234-7227,   jebspi@aol.com or jeanettespires1@gmail.com