District 214 counselor honored by first lady

A counselor at Northwest Suburban High School District 214 recently was chosen as a semifinalist for 2015 School Counselor of the Year and celebrated in Washington, D.C. by Michelle Obama and others at the White House.

Dustin Seemann was honored at the White House event Jan. 30 by the American School Counselor Association for his work in the field.

Actress Connie Britton, who played a high school counselor of the popular TV show "Friday Night Lights," also spoke at the reception before introducing first lady Michelle Obama.

While Seemann did not take home the top prize, he said the experience, which included a black-tie gala and a lunchtime serenade from the U.S. Marine Corps band, was a memorable one.

"I was ecstatic to be there," he said. "Words can't articulate the experience."

Seemann started as a counselor at Prospect High School in 2008. In 2014, he moved to the district office to work as the coordinator of student services, managing 45 counselors around the district. Seemann was named School Counselor of the Year for Illinois in 2012.