Counselors
Wawasee High School has 3 Counselors divided by alphabet, 1 Guidance Secretary, and 1 Scholarship Secretary.
Students can sign up to see their counselor by sending their counselor an email or signing up online through the counselor's link.
Parents can contact their child's counselor through email or by phone. Parents wishing to see their child's counselor should request an appointment.
Students wanting to talk when not in school can chat for free by texting the word 'chat' to the number 494949. This chat option is nation-wide and is available 24/7.
Students A-G
Rebecca Puckett
Counselor
rpucket@wawasee.k12.in.us
574-457-3147 ext. 2501
Student Sign Up For Mrs. Puckett
Biography:
I spent much of my childhood moving around the country including several years in Canada and eventually ended up in San Francisco for my high school years. I graduated from Arizona State University with a B.A. in Psychology. I am currently finishing my Master's in School Counseling at Indiana University South Bend. I had the opportunity to gain experience in the school counseling field by covering two maternity leaves one at West Noble High School and one here at Wawasee High School. I have experience working with students who need extra motivation to succeed by working both in the Center for Alternative Learning at Wawasee and by helping start Wawasee's JAG(Jobs for America's Graduates) program. Before making the move to education I worked in the retail world with Starbucks Coffee for 17 years. I was a store manager for the last 12 of those years where I employed high school students and helped with their future, personal and career development.
I have been married for 17 years and have two boys Isaac is 13 and Silas is 11. Our family loves spending time in the outdoors and playing sports. Most of our travels always include a National Park and a baseball stadium, our goal is to eventually see them all.
Students H-Q
Kevin Taylor
Guidance Director
574-457-3147 ext. 2503
Student Sign Up For Mr. Taylor
Biography: I am originally from Mishawaka, Indiana. I graduated from Manchester College with a B.S. in Secondary Education with an emphasis in Psychology, Sociology, and United States History. I followed my B.S. with a Masters Degree in Counseling and Human Services at Indiana University at South Bend. At Manchester, I was a member of the Varsity Wrestling team for three years. I started teaching in 1993 at Milford School where I taught eighth grade United States History. I also spent five years teaching social studies at Wawasee Middle School where I taught six and eighth grade. Eventually, I landed at Wawasee High School teaching United States History, Psychology, Sociology and Current Problems and Events. During my first 13 years in the Wawasee Community Schools, I coached wrestling where I served as assistant and head coach of a program that had two state champions and numerous state place winners. In the 2007 school year I switched from the classroom to the Guidance Department. Currently, I serve as the Director of School Counseling and the School Testing Coordinator.
I have three beautiful children together, Titus, Max and Vivian Taylor. Titus is age 14 and he has a love of history and a passion for helping others. Max is age 12 and he desires to become a coder and eventually a pro NBA player. My daughter Vivian is 8, and she is interested in many things, especially becoming a marine biologist. I really enjoy sports and being competitive. I have a passion for wrestling, boxing, and motorcycle racing. In my free time I love to read, run, watch Netflix, and spend time with my family.
Students R-Z
Jason Pickler
Counselor
574-457-3147 ext. 2502
Student Sign Up for Mr. Pickler is coming soon. For now, email him at the address listed above.
Biography: I am originally from Green Bay, WI where my family and I lived until I was almost nine; we then moved to Tennessee where we lived through my 8th grade year. After completing my 8th grade year in Tennessee my family and I moved to Elkhart where I attended Jimtown High School. After high school graduation, I attended Bethel College for a year where I pursued a degree in youth ministry and psychology, but after that year transferred to Indiana University of South Bend where I attended for another year. Feeling like I needed some direction in my life, I made the radical decision to take the year off from college and ultimately ended up teaching science and English to the elementary age children of expatriates living in Baku, Azerbaijan and conversational English to Azerbaijani citizens. After that experience, I was hooked to a career in education. When I returned, I changed my major to secondary education with an emphasis on English. While still working on my undergraduate, I worked for several years at Bashor Children’s Home, a residential facility for children and teenagers who struggled with a variety of behaviors and addictions, finding that experience to be incredibly rewarding. After graduation with my Bachelor of Science in Ed., I taught 8th grade English for nearly seven years with Elkhart Community Schools. The last few years I was teaching, I began my coursework for a graduate degree in school counseling through Indiana University of South Bend. With my MS in School Counseling, I worked as a school counselor at another middle school in Elkhart Community Schools for seven years. I am extremely excited to be making the transition to Wawasee High School as a School Counselor and I am proud to call myself a Warrior.
I have been married to my amazing wife, Sara, since December of 2013. She also became a Warrior, but at Wawasee Middle School as an 8th grade science teacher at the beginning of the 2016 school year. We have a 2-year-old named Finley “Finn,” who is truly a source of joy (and continuous entertainment) in our lives. We love spending time in the outdoors camping, hiking, and kayaking.
Judy Thomas
Guidance Administrative Assistant & Registrar
574-457-3147 ext. 2220