09/27/2026
We love our counselor, Ms. Soto! ❤️🤍💚
This Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re celebrating the Hispanic counselors who support and inspire students across our district!
Throughout the month, we’ll be sharing their stories, traditions, and what inspires them as counselors. Today, meet BJ Smith Elementary School's counselor, Monica Soto!✨
🌎 HISPANIC/LATINO HERITAGE OR CULTURAL BACKGROUND
I’m Mexican American. My dad was born in Mexico and immigrated to the United States, while my mom was born here but also comes from a family with deep roots in Mexico. I’m proud to carry both cultures with me. My heritage has shaped my values, especially my strong sense of family, faith, resilience, and community, and those are values I carry into the work I do with students and families every day.
I understand how powerful it is for our students to see someone who shares pieces of their culture in a role where they feel seen, heard, and supported.
✨ WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A SCHOOL COUNSELOR?
Throughout my years in education, I realized that some of the most important lessons we teach children have nothing to do with academics. Kids need someone who will listen, believe in them, advocate for them, and help them navigate the hard parts of life. That passion led me to school counseling and eventually to becoming a published SEL author. I believe when we care for the whole child, everything else has a better chance to flourish.
💙 WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT BEING A COUNSELOR?
The relationships I’ve built with my students and families mean everything. ❤️ I love being a safe space for my students. Watching a child find their voice, learn to advocate for themselves, or use a skill I taught them reminds me exactly why I do this work.
🌸 A CULTURAL TRADITION, FOOD, SONG, SAYING, OR CELEBRATION THAT IS MEANINGFUL TO YOU
Quinceañeras are especially meaningful to me. They are such a beautiful celebration of family, faith, culture, and tradition. I love that they bring generations together to celebrate a young woman while honoring the family and heritage that helped shape her.
✨ A MESSAGE OR PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH OUR HISPANIC/LATINO STUDENTS
Never believe that where you come from limits where you can go! Your culture, your language, your family, your story, and even the challenges you’ve overcome are part of your strength. Be proud of who you are. Dream BIG. And when you find yourself in rooms your younger self once dreamed of entering, hold the door open for the person coming behind you.❤️
