LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Dyann Wilson was nominated by Amy Storer, a family member.

Ms. Wilson is an educator and school counselor with a heart and passion for all students. She not only works to support those students, but she also supports and works alongside educators on her campus, within the state, and even abroad to amplify the power of technology when it is directly embedded into counseling programs and guidance lessons.

During spring remote learning, it became very clear that it was going to be a challenge to reach all of her students. Because of this, she knew she had to get creative. She quickly got to work on learning more about how she could leverage various technology tools to directly support her programs, lessons, students, staff and families. She has used, and is still using, tools such as Wakelet, Google Sites, and Flipgrid to make an impact and to stay connected, whether near or far.

In recent years, she has developed community projects, participated in home visits, and created meaningful guidance lessons that provide a safe space for discussions among students and their peers. She is a fierce advocate for LGBTQ students and relentlessly works hard to make sure that gifted and talented programs aren’t the gate keeper for her students. Finally, she empowers her students to own their education by exposing them to College and Career Reading through a site called Texas OnCourse.

In regards to creating a positive school atmosphere, she recently started something called Take Care Tuesday. This movement is housed on Wakelet, and it shares various resources that teachers can lean on for self-care. She has also created culture-building events, led restorative circles among students and staff, and introduced tech integration to her staff because of her journey in the spring. After being inspired by another educator, she also created a digital calming room. Staff, students, and families can enter this site and find a variety of tools and resources to help with managing stress and staying calm.

Ms. Wilson has helped build a guidance curriculum for her entire district, and she is a well-loved trainer and presenter. Since spring remote learning, she has also become an ambassador for Wakelet, one of the tools she uses most frequently to remain a connected counselor. She also holds many different roles as a Texas OnCourse ambassador. She has a record of excellence performance at the professional level. Ms. Wilson is a TSCA and TCA board member, TSCA secretary, Wakelet and Texas OnCourse ambassador, and on the equity panel for TEA and Pearson.