Shanna Shepherd
Manager of Counseling Services
BA, Psychology, Wayne State University; MA, Counseling, Wayne State University; Master of Education, Leadership and Administration, Saginaw Valley State University
Shanna Shepherd is the lead counselor at Lighthouse Connections Academy and joined Connections Academy® in 2018. Ms. Shepherd shares her story below:
“I became an educator because I believe that every child deserves to have an advocate. I love working with students at Lighthouse Connections Academy. Most students here have decided to take ownership of their education. Parents and families have decided to have an active role in their student’s education.
We create a welcoming community for parents, teachers, and students by building strong relationships with everyone involved in contributing to each individual student’s success. Helping students plan for postsecondary success is my favorite part of the job!
When asked about what makes online school different from a brick-and-mortar setting, Ms. Shepherd answered, “Flexibility! There are also a lot of opportunities for one-on-one interaction with your teacher.”
“We help prepare students for a bright future by providing counseling office hours for one-on-one planning. We are here to assist students 100 percent through the college-going process or other postsecondary planning. For younger students, this may look different, such as helping students to overcome (or removing entirely) some of the barriers that have prevented them from achieving their optimal performance in a brick-and-mortar school.”