Naperville North High School’s Angelo Georgacopoulos has been named the 2026 Illinois High School Counselor of the Year by the Illinois School Counselor Association.
2026 Illinois High School Counselor of the Year
Georgacopoulos was given the title earlier this month after being nominated by colleague Brian LaPorte.
Georgacopoulos said the recognition was unexpected.
“I got an email, and I thought it was surreal,” the counselor said. “I was like, wait, what? What did I just get?”
Outside of his daily efforts as a counselor, he credits the award to his work bringing educational, career and health resources to students through events like the International College Takeover and Healthy Husky Takeover.
Each one involves outside speakers coming to Naperville North, giving students different perspectives on future planning and wellness.
He said he also plans to bring a career-focused event to the broader Naperville community soon, allowing the public access to job opportunities under one roof.
Career journey
Georgacopoulos said his path to his current career wasn’t always clear.
“When I first started college, I’m like, ‘Hey, I want to go be a pediatrician,’” Georgacopoulos said. “And then when I started my first biology class, I’m like, ‘Yeah, this isn’t for me.’ But I still wanted to go into the field to help out kids.”
His then-girlfriend– now his wife– encouraged him to mix psychology with his passion for working with kids, and something clicked.
“It’s the best of both worlds, because I was coaching basketball as well too. So then I’m like, okay, it’s a pretty it’s a pretty good idea,” Georgacopoulos said.
Working in Naperville
He began his role at Naperville North in 2012, applying twice before being hired.
“The first time I applied, I made it to the finals but didn’t get the job. But it was actually a blessing in disguise because then I’m like, ‘Okay, hey, I need to work on some things,’” Georgacopoulos said.
After spending time as a student advocate at the Leyden High School District 212 in Northlake, he took another shot at becoming a counselor – and landed the position. It turned out to be a perfect fit.
“I love what I do. I love coming every single day and working with students, especially with kids. I think that was my gift I was given by God of like, hey, you’re here to help people,” Georgacopoulos said.
Counseling evolves
Since 2012, Georgacopoulos said a lot has changed about his duties within the school’s walls, much to do with student mental health and overall well-being.
“I would say at the beginning it was mostly basically around the college piece, meaning, you’re in here, you are helping kids out with class schedules,” Georgacopoulos said. “As time has gone on, we’ve seen, especially over the last couple of years, it’s a lot of social-emotional (work). So we are working with students who have stress, who have anxiety, some depression, and we are working with outside providers as well.”
It’s something Georgacopoulos embraces, working also as a therapist outside his hours as a counselor.
Putting in the good work
Even with this accolade, Georgacopoulos said his work isn’t about the awards.
“It’s great with the awards… But sometimes just seeing it from the kids or even from the parents to say, ‘Hey, you were a resource for the last four years, you helped us out, and little Joey or Sarah was amazing, and you helped her out so much at home, we can’t thank you enough.’ That’s all I care about,” Georgacopoulos said.
Looking ahead
As for what comes next, Georgacopoulos said he looks forward to using his award to bring awareness to the hard work school counselors put in each day.
“I would love to represent all counselors as a voice. The title leaves next year, so it’s having some time with this audience right now,” Georgacopoulos said.
He will receive his award on Nov. 13 at the Illinois School Counselor Association Conference in Bloomington-Normal.
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