Creating Access And Opportunity For All Students - Dr. Keisha Larry Burns

The CharacterStrong Podcast

Today, our guest is Dr. Keisha Larry Burns, School Counselor at Shadow Hills Engineering & Design Magnet Academy. We talk with Dr. Burns about equity, access, and opportunity as we seek to support all students in our schools. She talks about the challenges that students have faced and she reminds us that each student we meet is unique and has different needs. Dr. Burns provides insights on how we can support all students and ensure they receive the necessary resources for success. Additionally, she highlights the importance of creating an inclusive culture where every student feels valued, acknowledged, and included.

Learn More:

• Visit the CharacterStrong Website

Dr. Keisha Larry Burns is the School Counselor at Shadow Hills Engineering & Design Magnet Academy in Palmdale, CA. As the School Counselor, she created and maintains a comprehensive school counseling program, which in 2020 became a Recognized ASCA Model Program.

Dr. Burns firmly believes education promotes self-empowerment and equity and that cultural responsiveness is essential to create a school climate that embraces cultural diversity and helps promote student success. She serves a vital role as an advocate for students and their families. In addition to serving in multiple leadership roles at her school site and district committees, Dr. Burns is also an adjunct professor at the University of LaVerne, teaching future School Counselors in the Educational Counseling program.

In 2021, the Los Angeles County Office of Education awarded Dr. Burns its inaugural School Counselor of the Year Award. In 2022, Dr. Burns received the CA Association of School Counselors School Counselor of the Year award and was recently recognized by the American School Counselor Association as a 2023 National Finalist. Dr. Burns earned her Doctorate in Educational Leadership in Psychology from the University of Southern California.

Dr. Burns enjoys spending time with family and friends, curling up with a good book or fashion magazine, and traveling. A quote she lives by is, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit." - Aristotle.