Guidance Department

At Lincoln Park Academy, our Guidance Department is dedicated to supporting the academic, personal, social, and career development of every student. Working in partnership with families, teachers, administrators, and the community, our school counselors help students develop the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to thrive in school and beyond.

Through a comprehensive developmental guidance program aligned with the St. Lucie Public Schools K–12 Comprehensive School Counseling Model, counselors empower students to become effective learners, responsible citizens, productive contributors, and lifelong learners. Our ultimate goal is for every student to graduate prepared to make informed, responsible decisions and successfully pursue their college, career, and life goals.

Our School Counselors Provide:

  • Individual and group counseling to support students’ academic, social-emotional, and personal growth
  • Academic planning and guidance to help students achieve their educational goals
  • College, career, and postsecondary readiness support
  • Small-group interventions and individualized assistance for students in need
  • Classroom and large-group guidance lessons focused on academic success, character development, mental wellness, and career exploration
  • Coordination of state and district assessments and testing programs
  • Referrals to community agencies and support services, in partnership with families
  • Collaboration with teachers, administrators, and district staff to ensure students receive the support necessary for success

At LPA, we believe every student deserves a strong support system. Our counseling team is committed to fostering a positive, inclusive environment where students are encouraged to reach their highest potential both inside and outside the classroom. Together, we help our Greyhounds navigate challenges, celebrate achievements, and prepare for a bright future.

Lincoln Park Academy Guidance Department: Supporting Every Student, Every Step of the Way. 🧡🖤 #TheLPAStandard

Ms. Gabrielle Cave, HS Guidance Counselor – Gabrielle.Cave@stlucieschools.org

Grades 9-12

Students with last names beginning with: A – G

Mrs. Irene Schmahl, Guidance Director – Irene.Schmahl@stlucieschools.org

Grades 9-12

Students with last names beginning with: H – M

Mrs. Denise Davis, HS Guidance Counselor – Denise.Davis@stlucieschools.org

Grades 9-12

Students with last names beginning with: N – Z

Ms. Dominique Cesar, MS Counselor & MS Counseling Department Head – Dominique.Cesar@stlucieschools.org

All 8th Grade Students

7th Grade Students with last names beginning with: M-Z

Mrs. Claudia Aguilar, MS Guidance Counselor – Claudia.Aguilar@stlucieschools.org

All 6th Grade Students

7th Grade Students with last names beginning with: A – L

* Volunteer Hours Documentation –  Volunteer Hours Documentation Directions
* LPA Curriculum Guide – Curriculum Guide 2026-2027
* Florida Financial Aid Application – Bright Futures – www.FloridaStudentFinancialAid.org
* FAFSA – www.fafsa.gov
* ACT – act.org
* SAT – www.sat.org
* Indian River State College – irsc.edu

Financial Aid

Financial Aid Information

Financial Aid is money to help pay for college or career school.  There are four main ways to look for money to help pay for your post-secondary education:

  1. Federal Aid
  2. State Aid
  3. Institutional Aid (from the college or career school)
  4. Scholarships

 

1. Federal Aid

Submitting the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is the only way to get federal aid, including the Pell grants, work-study programs, and federal student loans.  You also often need to file the FAFSA to qualify for state and institutional aid, such as scholarships.

The FAFSA is a free application and only takes about 30 minutes to complete!

Each year, the FAFSA opens October 1st for seniors to complete at: https://fafsa.gov/

  • All seniors are to complete the application if they are attending a university, college, technical college, or enlisting in the military.
  • If you are planning on starting in the summer you will also complete the FAFSA application
  • All seniors need to complete the FAFSA during the fall of their senior year.
  • Some colleges have priority FAFSA deadlines-Submit your FAFSA in October to try and earn the most money possible for college! (first come, first serve)
  • Many colleges will not consider you for merit aid unless you complete the FAFSA! Apply even if you don’t think you will qualify!

 

2. State Aid

The FFAA (Florida Financial Aid Application) is a free application that could help seniors qualify for state grants and scholarships and also includes the Bright Futures Scholarship.

 

3. Institutional Aid

Institutional aid, unlike federal or state aid, is money from your college or university.  It is often available to incoming students (seniors) as well as current students at the college.

The first step to applying for institutional aid is completing the FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid.  Many colleges and universities use this form to determine what need-based aid, grants, loans, or scholarships they may offer a student.

Check the financial aid websites of the colleges/universities you are applying to for information regarding priority deadlines and additional scholarship applications.

For example:

IRSC Financial Aid Website: https://irsc.edu/financial-aid/index.html

IRSC Foundation Website: https://www.irscfoundation.org/p/4/#.YUCv0Z1KiUk

4. Scholarships

All grade levels can search and apply for scholarships! Check out the scholarship tab to start searching and applying for scholarships!

Some search companies provide free scholarship searches in return for your personal information. Some allow you to opt out. Choose wisely if you are concerned about receiving spam calls and/or emails.

 

 5. Helper Helper Guide 

Scholarships

  • Raise Me
    • Helps students in 9th – 12th grades to discover colleges and earn scholarships for their academic and extracurricular achievements throughout high school.
    • These bite-sized scholarships are called “Micro-Scholarships”.  When students add achievements to their Portfolio on Raise.me, they could be eligible to earn Micro-Scholarships towards partner colleges.  These achievements can include good grades, participating in clubs, playing on a sports team, volunteering, or even starting a club. They can include AP or IB courses, honors classes, and college-level courses, too.
  • Scholar Snapp
    • Scholar Snapp allows you to reuse your information – everything from contact details to teacher recommendations, video uploads, essays, and more – from one application to another.
  • “Guaranteed” Scholarships Site
    • The newly revised now includes more than 700 scholarships guaranteed by nearly 200 colleges and universities.
    • By guaranteed scholarships, we mean those which are unlimited in number, and require no interview, essay, portfolio, audition, competition or other “secondary” requirement. Just meet the criteria listed, adhere to the application deadlines set by the individual colleges and universities, gain admission, enroll, and receive your scholarship or scholarships.
    • Once you find a scholarship listed for your college-check the college’s financial aid website for more information.
  • LendEDU’s Guide to College Scholarships
  • Fastweb
    • Fastweb is your connection to scholarships, colleges, financial aid and more.
    • Once you complete your profile you’ll have access to Fastweb’s database of more than 1.5 million scholarships.
  • Unigo
    • Create a Unigo account to save your personal scholarship results. Save your essay questions and fill out future Unigo Scholarships fast!
  • Cappex
    • The nation’s largest, multi-billion dollar scholarship database— create a free account to see all of your personalized matches.
  • BigFuture Scholarship Search
    • Find scholarships, other financial aid and internships from more than 2,200 programs, totaling nearly $6 billion.
  • Scholarships .com
    • Search for college scholarships by academic major, athletics, art, ethnicity, first in family, GPA, minority, music, state, name or type.
  • Scholarship America
    • There are tons of scholarships out there, designed to help students like you get to—and stay in—college. Start exploring and start the application process with the click of a button.
  • Scholarships360
    They are a team of educators, parents, and students who believe it’s possible for any student to get an education with $0 in student debt.  How are they different?
    • No spam / no required sign-up
    • Data safety
    • Updated daily
    • Decades of experience in higher education