Dr. Jennifer Aucoin is an Assistant Professor in Counseling at Gwynedd Mercy University. She earned her PhD from Sam Houston State University, and her master’s and bachelor’s degrees from the University of South Alabama where she was a member of the women’s soccer team. Her passion for soccer began at an early age and Dr. Aucoin contributes her success to the competitive drive she had as an athlete. Dr. Aucoin began her professional counseling experience in 2004. She has worked previously as an elementary school counselor, and as a secondary school counselor with additional work in crisis counseling. As a high school counselor Dr. Aucoin was the lead counselor who over saw the creation and implementation of a comprehensive school counseling program following the ASCA National Model. Prior to her work as a professional counselor, Dr. Aucoin worked as an elementary school teacher. Her work as an elementary school teacher led her to pursue her school counseling degree, which eventually led her back to a teaching path in higher education.
Dr. Aucoin has been teaching online since 2013 and has a passion for making the online learning experience meaningful and relevant for students. In 2013, Dr. Aucoin began her online teaching experience as an adjunct professor at Sam Houston State University and Gwynedd Mercy University. As a counselor educator, she has developed and taught numerous Master-level courses. Her courses developed include virtual role-play scenarios utilizing basic counseling skills as well as new and creative teaching methods related to the most recent research available. She has taught and developed courses in human development, foundations of counseling, multicultural education, organization of school counseling, assessment techniques in counseling, career counseling, theories of counseling, counseling skills, and counseling internship. Dr. Aucoin’s wide variety of teaching experience has allowed her to build creative courses which include virtual student interaction allowing the students to feel more connected with their peers in the online learning environment.
Currently Dr. Aucoin is presenting nationally on online teaching and learning strategies. Her specialty areas include school counseling, counselor education, curriculum development, and online learning. She has a passion for continuing to improve online education for students to enhance their learning experience and interest in learning.
