Cape High counselor Joel Simon earns national recognition

Cape High counselor Joel Simon is the only Delaware counselor to be recognized by the College Board, which honors innovative middle and high school counselors.

Now in his 12th year at Cape, Simon counsels 10th-, 11th- and 12th-graders with last names beginning with H through O, and helps prepare and register them for SAT, PSAT and AP exams. He also works with special education teachers to provide testing accommodations for students when needed.

“We work as a team,” Simon said. “There are five full-time counselors providing academic, social/emotional and career counseling to students.”

Simon said his role has expanded over the years.

“We’re school counselors, not just the person who picks your classes,” he said. “We’re more interactive, working with kids who have social and emotional needs. We need to be there for those kids.”

Originally from Wilmington, Simon graduated from Concord High. He has worked in education for 27 years, first at Sussex Tech then Middletown High, as a social studies teacher and counselor. Simon lives in Lewes with Alyssa, his wife of 22 years, and children Ethan, 18, and Emily, 16, both Cape students.

Simon said he enjoys creating the master schedule for the school’s students. 

“It’s like putting together a puzzle,” he said. “I like the feeling of helping others. Students feel they can come to me to talk and leave in a better state of mind than when they arrived.”

The College Board was created in 1900 to expand access to higher education. Each year, the College Board helps more than 7 million students prepare for a successful transition to college through readiness programs, including the SAT and the Advanced Placement Program.