Erica Gonzalez, a guidance counselor at IS 220 in Borough Park, began her career at the Department of Education as a substance abuse prevention and intervention specialist. But working with a guidance counselor named Mary Costello inspired her to change direction.

“The connection she had with children was so beautiful,” she says. “I realized this was what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.”

Gonzalez was one of 26 guidance counselors honored at the 30th annual School Counselor Recognition Day Awards ceremony held at DOE headquarters on May 25.

“Guidance counselors are the heartbeat of the school,” said Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña. “I learned early on in my career that a guidance counselor can save your life.”

UFT Secretary Emil Pietromonaco praised the chancellor for recognizing the value of guidance counselors and noted that the DOE was “going in the right direction” by increasing the number of guidance counselors.

“Thank you for the tremendous work you do every day,” he told the counselors.

The honorees, ever humble, spoke generously about colleagues who were just as deserving of recognition.

“So many of us deserve this,” said Kinah Ventura-Rosas, who serves two parochial schools in the Bronx as a counselor in the non-public schools district. “We are out there doing this work because all our kids need advocates to vouch for them.”

Lisa DeCarlo, an honoree from Susan E. Wagner HS on Staten Island, said her 17 years as a counselor have “flown by.”

“You don’t really realize on a day-to-day basis whether people realize what you do,” she said.

Rosemarie Thompson, the UFT’s guidance counselors chapter leader, agreed.

“There are so many things we do behind the scenes that don’t go into our schedules,” she said. “Thank you for the support and guidance you give to your students, families and community.”

For Kristopher Ebanks, an honoree from the Brooklyn Theatre Arts HS who began his career as a prekindergarten teacher, this time of year is particularly poignant.

“By the time students get to high school, parents take a step back and we sometimes fulfill the role of parent,” he said. “Every year at graduation, seeing them cross the stage when it’s been a four-year journey to get to that point is a culmination of the work that we do.”

Jaye Murray, the executive director of the DOE’s Office of Guidance and School Counseling, spoke about the importance of collaboration, saying, “All of you are waves in an ocean, working together toward the same cause.” 

Her message was especially relevant for Stephanie Liebowitz, a school social worker at PS 203 in Oakland Gardens who was there to support her colleague Cassandra Pitkin as she received an award.

“She took me under her wing, and she always has my back,” she said of Pitkin.

But, Pitkin insisted, the privilege was all hers.

“I get honored every day when I see my students,” she said. “This is what I was meant to do. I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

See more photos in the gallery »