National School Counselor Week is always a fantastic opportunity to shout out SLA’s amazing school counselors, Ms. Karina Hirschfield and Ms. Zoe Siswick!

Karina Hirschfield is SLA’s founding counselor and College / Postsecondary Counselor. Since 2006, she has taken care of SLA students, first piloting our social / emotional counseling program and then building SLA’s college program. What Ms. Hirschfield has done, building the College Access Leaders program, creating a deep and profound link between our Advisory program and the college process, and spending thousands of hours working with kids and families throughout the college process — and garnering millions of dollars in scholarships and aid over the years — makes her an invaluable part of the SLA family! And of course, she’s also SLA’s incredible Girls Volleyball coach as well!

Zoe Siswick has been with SLA since 2008, providing incredible social/emotional care for SLA students (and staff) for fourteen years. During that time, Ms. Siswick has worked to build social-emotional learning into our Advisory program as our Advisory Committee co-chair, created peer-mediation programs, helped students and families through all of the challenges adolescence can bring, and created a safe space for so many kids who needed her counsel. And of course, there is no greater champion of SLA athletes than our Athletic Director, Girls Soccer and Softball coach, Ms. Siswick!

Between the two of them, Ms. Hirschfield and Ms. Siswick bring 30 years of experience helping SLA students thrive. They embody SLA’s ethic of care deeply and powerfully, and all of us at SLA know how lucky we are to have them both!

Happy School Counselors Week, and thank you for everything you do, Ms. Hirschfield and Ms. Siswick!!!