Harrisonburg High School Counselors

Savanna Lester

Counseling Director

"I grew up in (the beautiful) Chesapeake, Virginia and moved from the ocean to the Valley in 2011 for college.  I studied Psychology at Eastern Mennonite University as an undergraduate and loved every minute of it!  I knew I was very interested in Counseling and wasn't ready to leave the mountains so I went to Graduate School at JMU for School Counseling.  Throughout Grad School I worked in JMU's Counseling office doing suicide prevention work and helping teach Psychology classes. 

After graduation, I spent my first four years of my career at Central High School in Woodstock, VA as a Falcon.  I am passionate about serving students and families, and helping them believe in their strength and value.  Outside of work I love to play golf, tend to my plants, and eat at food trucks!  I'm excited to be continuing my career in HCPS!"

Madison Greer

"I grew up on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, a tiny peninsula with one highway that extends the whole way through. Growing up in a small, rural area, I had first hand experiences and witnessed the hardships associated with being from a small, underserved community. These experiences helped shape me into who I am today, a School Counselor. It became my mission to provide mental health services in an equitable way to students and communities in need. 

In 2018, I started my undergraduate career at James Madison University and studied Psychology. After the completion of my undergraduate degree, I stayed at JMU to earn a Master’s Degree in School Counseling. Throughout the course of my education, I fell in love with the Harrisonburg area and especially the diversity and complexity of this community. 

For leisure, I enjoy giving back to the community. I have spent over a hundred hours at the local RH-SPCA and have also spent time in soup kitchens, tutoring children, and helping out with the Boy’s and Girl’s Club of Harrisonburg. 

I highly value my family, friends, partner, and pets and love spending time with them in any way. Without these people (and pets), I would not be where I am today and for them I am immensely grateful! "

Alan Hawley

"My journey to school counseling was certainly an interesting one. I grew up in Virginia Beach, so naturally I wanted to become a marine biologist (like everyone else). As a first-generation college student, that journey was long and intimidating. I started at Tidewater Community College, where I first really began wondering if marine biology was right for me. By the time I transferred to Old Dominion University, I had changed my major a few times but ultimately graduated with a degree in International Studies.

Over the years I worked in customer service, logistics, managed a coffee shop, painted houses, and fueled airplanes. I loved all my jobs, but it wasn’t until I began working in Career Services at the college level that I felt a true purpose – to help others find value and purpose in their own lives! I continued this work for several years before moving to Harrisonburg, where I then worked for the Center for Global Engagement at JMU while finishing up my M. Ed. In School Counseling.

During internship I fell in love with the community and diversity at HHS and knew I had to stay. My work here allows me to use a little bit of every experience in my life to serve the needs of our students and I am so grateful for that. "

John Helbert

"I was raised just outside of Washington, D.C. in Lanham, Maryland. I have built a distinguished career in education, beginning as a school counselor in Fluvanna County, where I served for 18 years. Following this, I contributed to the development and well-being of students in Rockingham County for five years, before transitioning to an administrative role in Waynesboro, where I made a positive impact for the past two years. With experience working with students across every grade level, I am passionate about partnering with students, families, and businesses, believing deeply that every student has value and purpose in life. One of my guiding inspirations comes from the words of Jimmy V’s memorable speech , "Don't Give Up, Don't Ever Give Up." 

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with family, playing pickleball, fishing, and cherishing moments with friends. I feel very blessed to be working with a team of caring, dedicated, passionate, and transparent professionals at HHS! GO BLUE STREAKS"

Katrina Gibney

"I grew up in the beautiful state of Washington. Varying and connected life decisions led me to the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. After working for 4 years as a teacher in Elementary schools with high needs students, I developed an interest in counseling. I found myself gravitating towards relationship building, and tuning into my students' emotional needs. During the COVID lockdown, I started applying to schools to seek my endorsement in counseling. I never expected to work in high schools, but during my internship at Central High School, I fell in love with high school counseling. I love helping students navigate what they want to do after high school and helping them through all of life's challenges in high school. 

I live in the city of Harrisonburg with my husband and son. We enjoy gardening, cooking, hanging with our two cats, and getting outside! I love the city of Harrisonburg and absolutely love working at HHS with all our beautiful students! "