Zeyda Garcia, LPCC, Brings a Whole-School Approach to Counseling and Mental Health.

During American Education Week, Surge Institute is honoring Surge Alumni who are providing quality education to America’s youth. Today, we lift up Zeyda Garcia. 

Zeyda Garcia (OAK22, Angels 24) expresses a profound sense of gratitude for her high school counselor, Mr. Rodriguez, and her high school history teacher, Mr. Pittman, whom she says both embraced the fire in her. 

“They saw leadership potential in me at a time when I had no idea what that meant. Every other educator around me said, ‘Let's put this out. This is too much, you can't bring up these subjects or express this opposition; you can't challenge the world around you.’ But Mr. Pittman and Mr. Rodriguez were the two that were always like, ‘Yeah, you can say it, and that's okay. We wanna see that fire.” 

Spoiler alert: Zeyda listened to Mr. Pittman and Mr. Rodriguez, and her fire is burning bright! An educator for more than 20 years, Zeyda began her career teaching with AmeriCorps before eventually transitioning into school counseling. Zeyda’s roles have included licensed therapist, lead school counselor, clinical supervisor, healer, and counselor educator. In addition to working as a school counselor, Zeyda serves as an adjunct professor at her alma mater, the University of San Francisco, where she helps train graduate students to be community-responsive counselors. An alum of Surge Angels, Zeyda has also opened her own consulting practice, Healing Aguas Wellness Solutions, aimed at helping school counseling programs to be more inclusive. 

For Zeyda, an end goal has always been creating consistent access to mental health resources for students in underserved schools and in communities where mental health issues are stigmatized. She’s implemented a whole-school approach that normalizes mental health conversations for every student. 

“When we normalize mental health and counseling, students feel that it's okay to reach out for support. Students feel that it's okay to get help. And they know how and when to do it as well. So they start advocating for themselves. And it grows from there. We give presentations to whole classrooms and, eventually, parent workshops, too. And now, parents have tools at their disposal to discuss and reinforce the topics their children are learning in the classroom. Counseling no longer becomes something that’s just for a few students, but something that can reach the whole community.” 

It’s not lost on Zeyda that she’s come full circle. The “fiery” teenager has become a mentor who recognizes and encourages the fire in her own students. 

When Zeyda reflects on her career, she credits the impact of people like Mr. Rodriguez in shaping her identity as a leader. She also believes her experiences with Surge helped illuminate this connection by highlighting the value of relational leadership and student advocacy. 

“Mr. Rodriguez, as my counselor, was also a first-generation college graduate. For the first time, I was able to really see someone who could relate to me. I believe that’s a reason why I'm so intentional about the communities I’ve served. Surge affirmed that for me. It’s okay for me to continue to work to support BIPOC students and families. Another thing I love about Surge: it not only validated my experience and gave me permission to lead as myself, but it also connected me to a network of amazing educators, fellows, and siblings that do the same, that I know that I can consult with, that I can connect with.”

The Surge Institute is proud to honor the achievements and contributions of educators like Zeyda Garcia, whose dedication, hard work, and leadership continue to foster transformative learning and growth for students.