We welcome Dr. Jill Heckman as our School Counselor! Dr.
Heckman is enthusiastic about collaborating with educators, administrators, and
parents to engage in best practices. She began working in Early Childhood
Education over twenty years ago and was quickly fascinated by the growth, development,
and social behaviors of young children. This led her to obtain her master’s in
counseling after which she worked in a school-based, community mental health
setting, serving at-risk students and families. From there, Dr. Heckman moved
to a position as school counselor at a high-achieving private school, working
closely with the administrative team to develop school policies surrounding the
social emotional needs of students.
During that time, Dr. Heckman became interested in
the importance of school culture, emotional contagion of leadership, and
teacher self-efficacy in the classroom. She began doctoral research and
obtained her Doctor of Education. Her dissertation explored the barriers that
teachers face when implementing social emotional learning in their classrooms. Today,
Dr. Heckman strives to connect the fields of mental health and education,
knowing how important it is to understand the developmental of students to help
and support their academic journey.
Dr. Heckman and her family moved to Fayetteville a year ago and have quickly
made Northwest Arkansas their forever home. In her free time, you can find her
outside! She loves nature and taking walks.
