Annalise B. Shaffer
Liberty University
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I received my BA in Criminology with minors in psychology and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) from the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL in 2022. I graduated with a 4.0 GPA and received the King O'Neal Scholar Award for my undergraduate academic performance.
Now pursuing my M.Ed. in School Counseling at Liberty University, I am upholding the same academic standards throughout my graduate work. I am also engaging in additional coursework to satisfy the licensed professional counselor (LPC) education requirements.
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PROFESSIONAL SKILLS PROFILE
- Organization, planning, and time management
- Compassion and emotional awareness
- Individual and collaborative leadership
- Attention to detail and high-quality preparation
- BLS/First Aid/CPR/AED Certified
- Psychological First Aid Certified
EDUCATION
M.Ed. In School Counseling (CACREP)
Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA
December 2025
School of Behavioral Sciences
Department of Counselor Education and Family Studies
- Honors: Cumulative 4.0 GPA
- Additional coursework in efforts to satisfy the education requirements for the licensed professional counselor (LPC) certification
B.A. in Criminology
University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
May 2022
College of Behavioral and Community Sciences
- Minors: Psychology and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
- Honors: Summa Cum Laude graduate, cumulative 4.0 GPA
- Research Experience: Crime Research Etiology and Treatment Evaluations Lab Undergraduate Coordinator
WORK EXPERIENCE
Assistant Planner
Chantilly Chic Celebrations, Tampa, FL
September 2023-Present
- Coordinate all aspects of events, including vendors, timelines, and problem-solving, to deliver seamless client experiences
- Direct event flow through multitasking and proactive vendor management, ensuring flawless execution
Nanny
Private In-Home, Tampa, FL
January 2023-Present
- Create a safe, nurturing environment while supporting children’s academic and extracurricular growth
- Collaborate with parents to manage routines and ensure daily needs are met efficiently
Assistant Coach
USF Coed Cheerleading, Tampa, FL
May 2024-May 2025
- Instill sportsmanship and accountability while supervising practices, games, and events for student-athletes
- Plan and coordinate with head coaches to optimize practice strategies and safeguard athlete well-being
Child Protective Investigator Trainee
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Tampa, FL
August 2022-December 2022
- Investigated allegations of abuse and neglect, interviewing children and adults to assess safety and document findings
- Guided families in accessing social services to ensure child welfare and support stability
Assistant Teacher
Bunny Village Learning Center, Bethany, CT
2017-2021
- Developed a safe, engaging classroom environment while supervising 10+ children and tracking developmental milestones
- Enhanced learning through individualized activities, group facilitation, and structured lesson planning
INTERNSHIPS & REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE
Practicum & Internship 1 (400+ hours)
Turner-Bartels K-8 School, Tampa, FL
August-December 2024
Elementary school placement
- Assisted in providing individual and small-group counseling to support students’ academic, social, and emotional development
- Designed and facilitated classroom guidance lessons on topics such as emotional regulation, friendship skills, and teamwork for kindergarteners
- Led an executive functioning/student success group for 3rd graders, focusing on executive function skills like goal setting, time management, and self-regulation
- Conducted needs assessments and collected data to measure student progress and the effectiveness of interventions
- Collaborated with teachers, administrators, and parents to develop and implement student support plans
Internship 2 (300+ hours)
Wharton High School, Tampa, FL
August - December 2025
High school placement
- Assisted in providing individual counseling to support students’ academic, social, and emotional development
- Designed and facilitated classroom guidance lessons on building your professional image (resume creation and revision workshops, professionalism, elevator pitches, soft skills)
- Collaborated with the counseling department and the school faculty to support student needs
- Assisted with supporting college and career development services
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Volunteer, Radiant Church, Tampa, FL, 2021- PresentACHIEVEMENTS
- King O’Neal Scholar (USF) May 2022
- 3x UCA Collegiate Division IA National Champion 2021 & 2022 & 2025
- Women in Leadership & Philanthropy Scholar (USF) August 2019-May 2022
- Division IA Collegiate Student-Athlete: USF Coed Cheerleading May 2019-May 2022
High School School Counseling Brochure (.pdf) 0.51mb Counseling Artifacts (.pdf) 13.18mb Post-Group Parent Advocacy Letter (.pdf) 0.15mb Examples of Various Assessment Methods (.pdf) 0.34mb Case Conceptualizations (.pdf) 0.69mb Academic Development Artifacts (.pdf) 22.81mb By gathering the input of various parties, I was able to act on behalf of the students to address identified problems that affect student success in schools. It was my goal to have parents and teachers feel as though they were involved in the process of creating each lesson and making the content applicable and meaningful.
Pre- and Post- Classroom Lesson Surveys (.pdf) 0.43mb Letter of Recommendation (.pdf) 0.09mb Advanced Internship Assessment & Disposition Reflection (.pdf) 8.20mb 501 Benchmark Assignments (.pdf) 0.14mb 502 Benchmark Assignments (.pdf) 0.15mb These benchmarks were broken down into three parts:
Part 1: Research Paper
Part 2: Events Paper
Part 3: Interview Paper
504 Benchmark Assignments (.pdf) 0.15mb 505 Benchmark Assignments (.pdf) 0.18mb 510 Benchmark Assignment (.pdf) 0.15mb 512 Benchmark Assignments (.pdf) 0.22mb The AIA standard supported by the Qualitative and Quantitative Reporting Assignment and the Research Proposal Paper is research and evaluation.
515 Benchmark Assignments (.pdf) 0.11mb The AIA standards supported by the Benchmark Career Self-Assessment and Exploration Paper Assignment and Benchmark Career Development Program Proposal Assignment are counseling prevention/intervention and assessment.
522 Benchmark Assignments (.pdf) 3.04mb 604 Benchmark Assignments (.pdf) 0.28mb The AIA standards supported by the Comprehensive Child and Adolescent Counseling Benchmark are foundations, counseling prevention and intervention, and assessment.
611 Benchmark Assignment (.pdf) 0.11mb The AIA standards supported by the Benchmark Exploring Reliability and Validity Assignment and the Benchmark Initial Interview Assignment are assessment and research/evaluation.
622 Benchmark Assignments (.pdf) 0.19mb The AIA standards supported by the Benchmark School Counseling Parent-teacher Presentation Assignment are foundations, academic development, leadership, and collaboration/consultation.
660 Benchmark Assignments (.pdf) 1.49mb The AIA standards supported by the Benchmark School Counseling Brochure Assignment and the Benchmark Data Presentation Assignment are foundations, counseling prevention/intervention, leadership, and collaboration/consultation.
661 Benchmark Assignments (.pdf) 4.94mb The AIA standards supported by the Benchmark Case Conceptualization and Treatment Plan and the Practicum Final Pre-AIA Evaluation are foundations, counseling prevention/intervention, diversity/advocacy, assessment, research/evaluation, academic development, collaboration/consultation, and leadership.
692 Benchmark Assignments (.pdf) 5.44mb 693 Benchmark Assignments (.pdf) 7.14mb 694 Benchmark assignments (.pdf) 8.36mb 546 Benchmark Assignment (.pdf) 0.31mb The AIA standard supported by the Family Counseling Approach Research Paper is research/evaluation.
601 Benchmark Assignment (.pdf) 0.24mb The AIA standards supported by the Theology of Human Sexuality Assignment and Area of Interest and Resource List Assignment are research/evaluation, counseling prevention/intervention, and assessment.
610 Benchmark Assignments (.pdf) 0.33mb 667 Benchmark Assignments (.pdf) 0.17mb The AIA standards supported by the Support Groups and Treatment Groups Compare and Contrast Assignment and Theoretical Models and Approaches Assignment are research/evaluation, counseling prevention/intervention, and assessment.
691 Benchmark Assignments (.pdf) 0.39mb Each session focused on a different skill: (1) setting SMART goals, (2) managing time with a "staying on track" chart, (3) practicing mindfulness and self-regulation through a game of Simon Says, (4) making positive decisions through a "choose your own adventure" activity, (5) developing coping strategies with movement-based activities, and (6) understanding the importance of attendance through group accountability and affirmations. I designed engaging, developmentally appropriate lessons that helped students improve their organization, focus, and problem-solving skills while fostering a supportive group environment.
Practicum Final Project Presentation (.pdf) 4.72mb I led a four-lesson classroom guidance unit for kindergarten classes at my placement site, focusing on social-emotional learning. I planned these lessons with special considerations for the two classrooms in which about half of the students have IEPs. Each lesson was designed to be engaging, developmentally appropriate, and accessible to all students.
In the first lesson, I introduced feeling identification using Big Feelings by Alexandra Penfold and Suzanne Kaufman, helping students recognize and name their emotions through interactive storytelling and discussion. We also completed an emotion I-spy activity.
The second lesson focused on emotional regulation strategies and coping skills. We read When I Feel Angry by Cornelia Maude Spelman. Students practiced deep breathing techniques and made their own "coping skills toolbox."
The third lesson emphasized friendship skills, positive peer interactions, and kindness. We read What Does It Mean to Be Kind? by Rana DiOrio. I demonstrated the importance of kindness through modeling a "magic" disappearing colors experiment. Student also practiced giving their peer compliments, and we completed an activity where students had to identify "warm words."
The final lesson reinforced all previous concepts, but focused on teamwork. We read The Golden Acorn by Katy Hudson.
Throughout the unit, I ensured that all activities were hands-on and engaging, helping students build foundational social-emotional skills essential for classroom success.
Internship 1 Cumulative Project Presentation (.pdf) 3.18mb In Lesson 1: Building Your Story - Resume Basics, students learned the purpose of a resume and drafted their own using a resume builder worksheet to highlight experiences and accomplishments.
Lesson 2: Power Up Your Paper - Resume Refinement focused on strengthening resumes through peer review and the use of strong action verbs and measurable results to demonstrate growth.
In Lesson 3: Making Your Mark - First Impressions and Professionalism, students examined how appearance, body language, punctuality, and communication shape professional reputations, applying these concepts through role-play scenarios.
The unit concluded with Lesson 4: Connections that Count - Networking and Elevator Pitch, where students practiced crafting and delivering concise, confident self-introductions to prepare for real-world networking.
Collectively, the unit emphasized self-awareness, communication, and professionalism- helping students build the confidence and competence to take their next steps toward college and career success.
Internship 2 Culminating Project 2: Classroom Guidance Lesson Unit (.pdf) 5.88mb Prompt #1: In your own words, summarize how serving in both elementary and secondary schools has contributed to your understanding of the diverse developmental needs of K-12 students, including exceptionalities? What have you learned about how K-12 students differ in their development and approaches to learning? How have you created opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners?
Serving both elementary and secondary students has deepened my understanding of the diverse developmental needs across the K-12 continuum, including those with exceptionalities. Working with younger students taught me the importance of structure, visual supports, and movement-based activities for developing foundational social-emotional and executive functioning skills. In contrast, my experiences with high schoolers highlighted the shift toward independence, identity formation, and goal setting. Across all settings, I learned that students have unique learning styles, so adapting lessons with visual, hands-on, and collaborative approaches is essential to creating inclusive and meaningful learning experiences.
Prompt #2:The Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling (ASERVIC) states, “The professional counselor recognizes that the client’s beliefs (or absences of beliefs) about spirituality and/or religion are central to his or her worldview and can influence psychosocial functioning.” How have your field experiences contributed to your understanding of the importance of including K-12 students’ religious and spiritual supports, especially if religion and spirituality are valued by the K-12 student?
My field experiences helped me recognize the importance of acknowledging students’ religious and spiritual beliefs as integral to their identities. Working in culturally diverse schools showed me how faith and spirituality can shape students’ values, behaviors, and sense of belonging. By observing and supporting accommodations such as fasting during Ramadan, I learned how honoring students’ beliefs fosters respect and connection. These experiences reminded me that counseling is most effective when we understand and support the whole student- including their spiritual and cultural backgrounds.
Prompt #3:How have your field experiences contributed to your understanding of the importance of including the K-12 student's family, community, and culture as a source of support?
My field experiences have shown me that including students’ families, communities, and cultures as sources of support is essential to student growth and success. Collaboration among home, school, and community provides consistent encouragement that helps students feel secure and valued. One of my most meaningful experiences was helping organize a multicultural fair that celebrated students’ diverse backgrounds and strengthened family-school connections. This event reinforced that when schools embrace cultural diversity and involve families, students feel seen, supported, and more connected to their learning.
Prompt #4:How has your field experience strengthened your professional identity as a school counselor? What aspects of the school counselor's role, scope of practice, and the referral process have you learned from collaboration and consultation?
My field experiences have strengthened my professional identity as a school counselor by allowing me to apply what I’ve learned through real-world practice. Leading individual and group sessions improved my confidence, active listening, and ability to support students’ academic, social, and emotional needs. Collaboration with teachers, social workers, nurses, administrators, and other counselors showed me how teamwork enhances outcomes. I also gained a clear understanding of my scope of practice and the referral process, learning when to seek supervision or additional support to ensure students receive the help they need.
Behavioral Guidelines: The Use of Seclusion and Restraint Training Certificate (.pdf) 0.16mb Child Abuse and Neglect Recognition and Intervention Training Certificate (.pdf) 0.11mb Schools and Grief: Helping Students Cope with Death Training Certificate (.pdf) 1.86mb Supporting Caregivers of Youth with Substance Use Problems Affected by Trauma Training Certificate (.pdf) 1.86mb Psychological First Aid (PFA) Certificate (.pdf) 0.55mb "O∆K only accepts sophomores, juniors, seniors, and graduate student members. Undergraduates must be in the top 35% of their class. Graduate students must meet stringent criteria set by each circle. Faculty, staff, and alumni must be leaders in their field, on-campus, or in the community. Less than 5% of eligible students will receive an invitation to join. This is an honor that will serve you throughout your life."
I was invited and admitted to O∆K after graduating from the University of South Florida with my undergraduate degree.
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