Student Spotlight: Dieon Franklin, M.Ed. ’26
This Greyhound shares his excitement to become a school counselor, so he can truly drive change for kids, families, and communities
I was taught to be very deliberate about your path. I only applied to Loyola’s program because they are training educators and school counselors to go out and truly drive change for kids, families, and communities.
Dieon Franklin, M.Ed. ’26, an Atlanta native and former West Baltimore educator, was recently awarded Loyola’s Culturally Responsive and Inclusive School Counselor Preparation (CRISP) scholarship for his Master’s in Education (M.Ed.) in School Counseling.
Franklin always knew he would work in education. “I believe education is my calling,” he said. In his role as an English teacher, he discovered that students, family members, and even fellow educators felt comfortable opening up to him, sharing about their lives, experiences, and challenges. That’s what led him to focus on counseling in his education career journey.
Franklin was drawn to Loyola’s school counseling program because of its clear commitment to social justice and an emphasis on considering the identity and background of students he will work with.
I connected with a lot of graduates from the school counseling program, and they told me, ‘This is where you need to be.’
Franklin is excited to connect with his professors, build a community of peers in his program, and get involved with the broader campus community through service opportunities and supporting Greyhounds Athletics. After he completes his degree, he hopes to become a counselor in a high-need school in Baltimore.