In honor of National School Counseling Week, XAP and Bridges would like to recognize...

Ana Maria Lopez
Banning High School
Wilmington, CA

Turning a high school machine shop into a college and information center is no easy task. But college counselor Ana Maria Lopez had a vision and saw it through.

Many of the 3,500 students at Banning High School in Los Angeles, Calif. come from low-income families. In some cases, students return to empty houses after school. Many don't have computers at home or a proper space to study.

The counseling office at Banning was small and didn't accommodate students' needs. That's when Lopez and a fellow counselor turned their sights to the brick building in the middle of campus - the old metal shop.

Lopez and her colleague wrote letters, asked for funds and worked to convince school administrators that they were serious about transforming the old shop into a presentable, comfortable center where students could access computers, tutors and career-planning software, and where Lopez could ask students, "What is it you plan to do after high school?"

Four years ago, Lopez moved into her new space, but conditions weren't ideal. "Living a couple of years in a brick building with no heat and, at the beginning, very little electricity was a challenge," Lopez says with a laugh. "I remember the days when my fingers couldn't work to hold a pen - it was so cold."

Portable heaters were brought in and the building is now a functioning center with students dropping in during lunch hour and after school. "It looks like a busy place," says Lopez. "They're not all here looking for college information, but... I know when the day comes that they do have a question, they won't hesitate to come and ask me."

Parents are also invited to use the center to learn about financial aid options, access the Internet, or gain insight into their children's grades and attendance.

In addition to her work at the center, Lopez holds workshops for parents, runs an after-school tutoring program and trains senior students as peer counselors. Her days begin at 7 a.m. and often don't end until 6 p.m. when the center closes. But she doesn't mind the long hours.

"I'm very fortunate to be one of those people that wakes up in the morning and can't wait to get to work," says Lopez. "It makes it much less of a job.... But the best thing is just being able to see the excitement from the students when they hear about the opportunities out there - and even more so when they get that letter of admission."

Says a colleague of Lopez: "Thousands of students have graduated from Banning High School having been touched by this warm-hearted and beautifully spirited woman who believes education creates change and instills respect for a population that has had little belief in this as an option. Her endurance and commitment to her profession is truly from the deepest corner of her soul. She is loved by many."

XAP and Bridges congratulate Ana Maria Lopez for making a difference in the lives of her students!

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