LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Maria Lara was nominated by a colleague, Beau Menchaca.

"Mrs. Maria Lara is a natural leader who stops at nothing to advocate for her students' personal needs and visions," said Menchaca. "She looks past the surface-level challenges, such as grades, to get down to the root cause of the issue. She researches and digs until she figures out what is going on in a student's life and then comes up with the best and most appropriate solutions. Mrs. Lara has an open-door policy for her students that is welcoming, warm, and nonjudgmental. Her students describe her as caring and always there for them. Even years after graduation, if she runs into a former student, she will follow up with something the student told her while still in school. Students love that she pays attention to what they have to say, remembers what they say, and can stay objective."

"One student who comes to mind is a special education student living out of his car," said Menchaca. "Hot spots were not available at the time, so Mrs. Lara worked with teachers to ensure that class material could be printed out and encouraged the student to attend after-school tutoring so he would have access to Wi-Fi and food. She advocated for the student to have access to the gym showers. She also found electives the student was interested in which could lead to opportunities, enrolling him in our theater technical program. A job with that department became available, and the student was hired. The student loved it and worked well with the teachers and others involved in the program."

After graduation, a job with that department became available, and the student applied and got the position. The student works for Tesla in Texas and visits Mrs. Lara when he is in town. Seeing what obstacles this student overcame with Mrs. Lara's support is astounding. This story is just one of the countless stories Mrs. Lara has about students because she treats all of them with this level of care. When asking Mrs. Lara about certain students, she never mentions what she did to help them, but brags about the student, their potential, and their accomplishments. She meets her students where they are academically and emotionally to help guide them toward graduation and career goals.

"Her humility stands out, and her desire for students to not only succeed but to enjoy what they do is inspiring," said Menchaca.

"Mrs. Lara's holistic approach to supporting students' needs and forging meaningful relationships also extends to her work as a community builder, ensuring that there is an abundance of clear communication for all stakeholders, so everyone is on the same page to best support the needs of students," said Menchaca. "She collaborates with parents/guardians, teachers, administration, community members, other school counselors, and anyone who can positively improve students' lives. Her commitment to advocacy and engagement has contributed to a positive and collaborative school culture. She communicates well with teachers, administrators, and staff and tells them exactly what a school counselor's role is."

Teachers describe her as being down to earth and able to adapt what she's communicating so that whoever she is talking to understands. They love her practical approach to helping students and have described her as a "salt of the earth" type of person. Her administrators value her expertise and say her intuition for the school counseling profession far supersedes any administrator's expectations. They respect how calm and patient she is with students and parents and admire how well she listens and acts on the needs of students. Mrs. Lara is a go-to person who ensures the school counseling program is on the right path. Mrs. Lara has encouraged her colleagues to take leadership positions at school to better advocate for students and the counseling program. Her fellow school counselors appreciate her thinking outside the box when creating and implementing a comprehensive school counseling program. They also love how she treats her students as if they were her own kids, going above and beyond to get to know them and advocate for them.

"Mrs. Lara positively impacts everyone she encounters," said Menchaca. "She makes students feel cared for and listened to. They always know that when they go to Mrs. Lara, they will be welcomed and advocated for. She also gives this support to aspiring and new educators she mentors. School counselors entering the field are encouraged by her life-long learner attitude, and she has worked extensively with interns to help them develop into effective and impactful school counselors. Mrs. Lara refuses to do things the same simply because 'This is how we've always done them.' She knows that students' needs are always changing and commits herself to ensuring that the school counseling profession changes with them. She is a lifelong learner and welcomes new counselors' ideas and technology skills to help everyone work smarter to serve our students. Mrs. Lara has built a legacy of support throughout the community centered on empowering students with the tools and opportunities to succeed and thrive. She is a role model and leader, and everyone who has had an opportunity to be her student or colleague is better people for it."