Counseling | Lutheran North Middle & High School

Your Future Success Starts Here

The counseling center is an integral part of the educational program at Lutheran North. Our counseling professionals nurture students in their spiritual, academic, emotional and vocational development. Counselors use a proactive, developmental approach to assist students in making wise decisions personally, academically and vocationally.

Our structured academic and college counseling is deliberately focused on planning for continuing education in a college or university best suited to the student's strengths and goals. Students also have access to personal counseling based on their strengths, needs and situations. Students requiring long-term counseling may be referred to an outside agency.

We give personalized attention to our students in these areas:

Academic planning/counseling
Career planning/assistance
Personal counseling and referrals
College selection and application assistance
Scholarship assistance
College Rep visits
Testing-PSAT, Pre-ACT, ACT, NUUEA/ MAP Growth, and AP test Coordinator
Test Interpretation to parents and students
Drug/Alcohol Prevention and intervention efforts
Groups
Classroom presentations
Crisis Intervention
Conflict Resolution/mediation
Evening parent presentations
Scheduling-assisting the registrar with conflicts

The counseling staff also serves as advisors for Peer Ministry.

Counselors

List of 4 members.

Mrs. Dixie Buford

Counselor

314-833-2959
Mrs. Cynthia Burreson

Assistant Principal - Academics & Counseling

314-833-2982

Bio
Cindy is a lifelong Lutheran who has lived in Missouri, Indiana, and New York. She has spent time in both Lutheran and public school education. She began teaching at Zion Lutheran in Owego, New York, and then taught for five years and counseled for one year in South Bend, Indiana, before serving as a counselor at Lutheran North in 2000.

Cindy graduated in 1988 as a Christ College scholar (honors college) and earned two degrees (B.A. in French and B.S. in math) from Valparaiso University along with completing her secondary education certification. While a student at Valpo, she studied overseas in Cambridge, England, and in Paris, France. She earned her masters in Counseling and Human Services from Indiana University-South Bend in 1999. She serves as the Director of Counseling & College Counseling at Lutheran North. She is the faculty advisor for TREND (student prevention group), Peer Ministry, and Prom. She also works closely with the seniors on their leadership retreat and senior breakfasts.

Cindy is married to Kent and they have two daughters, Maggie (LHSN 2012) and Lily Kate (LHSN 2018). She enjoys spending time with her family, attending all of her girls’ events, reading, scrapbooking, and gardening.

Cindy seeks to continue to improve the college preparedness of the Lutheran North students academically, emotionally, and socially. She has co-developed the Choice, Not Chance college counseling curriculum used with students throughout their junior year.

“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.”
Philippians 3:10-11 (NIV)
Mrs. Donna McFarland

Counseling Assistant

314-833-2980
Steven Shemwell

School/College Counselor