Jennifer Lopez

Counselor

I became an educator because… I knew from personal and professional experience that our scholars need guidance, emotional and academic support, and advocates who see them as collaborators in their own learning experience. While working with high school students in District continuation schools, I found out early on that giving them space to open up and listen to their stories before starting any work led to better outcomes. By the end of the school year, my cohort of students all graduated and had a more positive outlook for their future. I knew in that moment that I wanted to be a School Counselor.

Prior to Equitas, I… Focused on providing school and community supports who were struggling with Truancy and Chronic Absenteeism. Sitting down with the families and listening to their lived experiences provided me with insight on how to develop an intervention that is best suited for them and a space that is non-judgmental.

I chose Equitas because… My mission as an educator is to give back to a community that gave me a lot of opportunity. I want to be able to show my scholars that I, as a first generation scholar, was able to push barriers and explore my interests outside of my community and truly explore higher education in a very different setting. I went from seeing skyscrapers and cement everyday to seeing the Red Wood forest at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Outside of school, I enjoy… spending time listening to music, doing karaoke, and playing board games with my friends and family.