Dr. Wissel has presented at regional, national, and international conferences and published in the areas of trauma, school counselor identity, and creating community-based learning opportunities for her students. Dr. Wissel is a former Washington School Counselor Association President. Believing in the power of learning through lived experiences, Dr. Wissel engages audiences through vulnerable storytelling related to her own journey in burnout and the habits she engaged in her pursuit of healing. She remains steadfast on this journey and has since experienced her healthiest and most joyful personal and professional years. During her sabbatical in 2020, Dr. Wissel launched a 40+ part podcast called, That Green Dress, on which she engaged in interviews and reflection on living a more joyful life. To encourage others, Dr. Wissel invites others to get quiet, reflect, and consider the behaviors, beliefs, and narratives that are contributing to burnout and joy. Prior to her work in higher education, Dr. Wissel was a school counselor and school psychologist in the K-12 system in Southwest Idaho.

With an academic foundation rooted in Psychology and Biology, Dr. Virgil earned her Bachelor of Science degree, followed by a Master of Education in School Counseling and an Education Specialist in Counseling, all from Mississippi College. Her academic journey culminated in a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision with a Leadership emphasis from the University of the Cumberlands in 2023. Her doctoral dissertation delved into the intricate dynamics of middle school counselors responding to cyberbullying incidents within social media.

Dr. Virgil brings a wealth of experience to her role, having served as a school counselor, associate licensed counselor, and adjunct instructor. She has imparted knowledge in several courses, including counseling diverse populations, introduction to school counseling, group counseling, legal and ethical issues, and human growth and development.

Her professional journey spans nine years in the field of education and school counseling. Beyond her accomplishments, Dr. Virgil has actively contributed to the counseling community. She has served as the Region Liaison for the Georgia School Counselor Association (GSCA), participated in various committees for GSCA, engaged in focus groups for ASCA, and contributed to groups/committees for the Mississippi School Counseling Association. Her commitment to mentorship, publications in esteemed outlets like the Beacon, ACT’s Leadership Blog, Forbes, and recognition as the 2022 Secondary School Counselor of the Year and later the 2023 Alabama School Counselor of the Year by the Alabama School Counseling Association showcase her dedication to the profession. In addition to her roles and accolades, Dr. Virgil currently serves on the Alabama Board of Directors.

Outside of her professional pursuits, Diana finds her passion in providing counseling services to individuals dealing with stress, anxiety, anger, grief, and more. Diana also enjoys photography, travel, and spending time with her husband, daughter, and niece. Diana Virgil stands as a beacon of excellence and leadership in the field of school counseling, and she is grateful for the opportunity to serve as your National 2024 School Counselor of the Year.

His research also explores the impact of evidence-based interventions in school counseling, evidence-based school counselor education, and evaluation in school counseling. He currently serves as an Associate Editor for the Professional School Counseling journal. Dr. Zyromski has published over 40 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters related to school counseling issues, delivered over 150 international, national, regional, and local presentations and has served as numerous international and state conference keynote. A research Fellow at the University of Massachusetts Ronald H. Fredrikson Center for School Counseling Outcome Research and Evaluation and a Faculty Affiliate at The Ohio State University Center on Education and training for Employment, Dr. Zyromski is also co-editor of School Counseling Research: Advancing the Professional Evidence Base (2023) and co-author of Facilitating Evidence-Based, Data-Driven School Counseling: A Manual for Practice (Corwin, 2016). He co-founded and is co-chair of the annual Evidence-Based School Counseling Conference (http://www.ebscc.org) and has served as co-primary investigator or project manager for over $9,000,000 worth of federal and state grants. Dr. Zyromski is involved with the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) as an Associate Editor of the Professional School Counseling journal. He also served as a Lead Recognized-ASCA-Model-Program Reviewers (LRR's) for a decade. He has successfully helped over 30 schools earn Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) designation. Dr. Zyromski also helped facilitate five Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Grants for Campbell County Schools, Erlanger-Elsmere Independent Schools and Northern Kentucky Cooperative for Educational Services, adding over twenty additional school counselors to the Northern Kentucky region.

Dr. Zyromski was the invited chair of the revision team for the Development Counseling Model for Illinois Schools. Dr. Zyromski has consulted and trained internationally and across the United States. He has trained numerous school districts, including Chicago Public Schools, on evolving school counseling programs to evidence-based, data-driven, comprehensive school counseling programs. He has provided workshops on crisis preparation and response in schools, supervision in counseling, using school counseling to change sundown town communities, and data-driven school counseling practices.

Dr. Zyromski has served as a reviewer for the Journal for Counseling and Development, as well as the Professional School Counseling Journal and has been recognized for numerous awards and recognitions, including the 2018 Ohio Counseling Association Herman J. Peters Award, the 2015 Kentucky School Counselor Association Outstanding Post-Secondary Counselor, the 2014 Illinois School Counselor Association Friend of ISCA, the 2010 North Central Association for Counselor Education and Supervision Professional Leadership Award, the 2010 Illinois School Counseling Association Presidential Award, and the 2008 North Central Association for Counselor Education and Supervision Outstanding Professional Teaching Award.