Before starting her working career at Alisal, Nava was a member of the class of ‘95. As a student, she enjoyed how the community was nothing but accepting and welcoming, being somewhere she felt she belonged and could relate to. “I liked the fact that it feels like a community,” she said. “A lot of the students here are very similar to who I was and where I came from.” 

She enjoyed participating in school events, the most memorable being football games and            winter balls. 

After high school, she went to UC Santa Barbara, where she majored in psychology. Nava had always had the idea set in mind that she wanted to pursue a career in some type of therapy or psychology work.  

After completing her four years at UCSB and receiving her degree in psychology in 1999, she went to San Jose State for her master’s in school counseling.  She had initially wanted to work to receive her master’s as a therapist, though that changed after she met her now husband, who was a school counselor. 

“I always wanted to work in something related to psychology, my goal was to go get my masters as a therapist,” she said. “In the meantime I met my husband and just hearing his stories and experience as a school counselor I decided to give that a try.”

Before reaching her position as a counselor, Nava started at Alisal as a teacher, teaching independent studies. She was also a substitute teacher for a short time, subbing for the MCOE in special ed and different elementary and high schools. 

She taught for around a year in 2001, before going back to school to obtain her masters. Once she received her degree she continued to apply for positions and see where she would be able to get a job. “My idea was to start there and wait to see what positions would open up,” she said. “And in the next year I was pretty lucky to be offered a position almost right away.”

 She officially started her career as a school counselor in 2006. Coming back to Alisal as an alumni was not necessarily the goal for her, but it worked out well and she is happy that Alisal was the outcome. “I’m familiar with the area and being an alum from here it just felt like coming back home,” she said. “It felt like there was a lot here I could relate to and hoped the students could find a person they can convey that is very similar to that.”

While being a part of the staff here at Alisal, she was able to experience working with teachers she was once taught by. Her old physics teacher, Mr. O’Neil, was one of these co-workers for about three years until he left Alisal. 

She found it funny as when she was a student here Mr. O’Neil was the one to walk her down the football field when she was nominated for homecoming court. “It was nice working with him,” Nava said. “He is super nice and was still the same as he was back then, being very student oriented and making students feel heard.” 

Nava feels that throughout the years Alisal has always kept the same welcoming community that one can easily feel comfortable in. “People here make you feel like this is your second home and I think that feeling has stayed the same,” she said. 

What she noticed has changed is the staff and how much it’s grown, especially with how many of them are also alumni who returned like she did. “It’s nice to see more familiar faces that students can relate to,” she said. 

What she enjoys most about her job is being able to connect with her students and guide them to success, while being someone who makes them feel heard and safe. “Obviously listening to them, guiding them, and helping them,” Nava said. “But at the end of the day it’s connecting with them and them feeling that there’s someone they can go to and be heard.”