Before he ever had a school counselor to guide him through the academic, social and emotional roller coaster that many children experience growing up, Diego Castro understood the importance that counselors could have.
Raised in the small town of Delhi, located just south of Turlock, there were moments when Castro felt as if he could have benefited from a school counselor, but in the mid-2000s, counselors were rare in elementary and middle schools and most counselors at the high school level focused solely on academics.
“When I was an elementary school student, I honestly felt like I needed a counselor,” Castro said. “For me personally, it was hard navigating the many aspects of growing up. I did it on my own, in a way, but I felt like it would have been so helpful to have someone there for me in that stage of life, because you go through so many learning experiences.”
Those sentiments were affirmed as Castro began tutoring students. “Working in the educational system as a tutor, I saw how much students needed that person, that safe space, someone to talk to... that inspired me to really want to go into education. I wanted to be the person to provide those safe spaces for kids.”
It was why Castro, following undergraduate studies in psychology at UC Merced, arrived at the Stanislaus State campus in 2013 to pursue a master’s degree in counselor education while obtaining his Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) credential.
Ten years after earning his M.A. from Stan State in 2015, Castro was named the 2026 California School Counselor of the Year by the California Association of School Counselors (CASC), a moment that he admittedly had never imagined. Castro, currently a school counselor at Hoover Middle School in Merced, was surprised with the honor at the summer’s CASC Leadership Development Institute.
“I was so shocked, I couldn’t even put it into words,” said Castro, who was nominated by his peers. “It was such an amazing experience, and I am so grateful. I never thought it was possible.”
Castro described the role of being a school counselor as “one of the most rewarding experiences you can have,” as he has watched students deal with self-esteem or behavioral issues blossom into confident individuals excelling in and out of the classroom.
“Sometimes, all a child needs is an adult to be there for them,” Castro said. “In our role as school counselors, our goal is to find the root causes of whatever a student is struggling with. Maybe it’s something in class or on campus, maybe they're going through something at home, or maybe their family needs certain resources. Whether it’s helping them with coping skills, helping students or their families get that support, we want to do that for them. When they do have that help and we see the positive impact to where they are at a point where they’re happy and succeeding, it’s a special feeling.”
Castro entered the counseling field full-time immediately upon achieving his master’s, working in the Livingston Unified School District until 2022. There, he helped implement a comprehensive school counseling program, a framework constructed by the American School Counselor Association. The program supports students' social-emotional, academic and career growth. As a result, the district saw significant decreases in chronic absenteeism and discipline rates, while seeing improvements in academic success.
“In a comprehensive school counseling program, we're going to all the classrooms to do lessons for the students, which is one of the most important things because a lot of the time at many places, people don't even know who their school counselor is or what do they do,” Castro said.
A comprehensive school counseling program uses a three-tier system that provides everything from schoolwide classroom instruction to small-group and individual support. For students with more complex needs, counselors collaborate closely with families and outside professionals to ensure they receive the right resources.
Castro described the honor as a “community award,” as it takes schools, districts and families to buy into what he is applying.
“The community gives me the opportunity, so they deserve a lot of credit,” he said. “I wouldn't be able to bring the best service possible without the support from administrators, from my school counseling team and the parents for their trust. It truly takes a village.
“I credit Stanislaus State for providing that framework and broadening my perspective of what school counseling should look like. Learning about comprehensive school counseling programs there made me think to myself, ‘This is the type of thing I’d like to bring to my school setting.’”
Learning didn’t stop there for Castro. In 2018, he earned his preliminary administrative credential from Stan State and went on to serve as a student services administrator at Modesto City Schools, where he supported the school counseling program and oversaw special education.
Castro soon felt an obligation to help the next generation of school counselors. In 2019, he began lecturing in Stan State’s Department of Advanced Studies in Education.
“I really wanted to give back to the next group of students, sharing what I learned at Stan State and what I was learning in the moment as an active school counselor,” Castro said. “I wanted to come back so that our graduate students are prepared to bring a comprehensive school counseling program into their districts.”
It has been an experience that has provided both Castro and his students with new and unique perspectives.
“You can always learn new things,” Castro said. “While teaching, we were able to use newer textbooks than when I was in grad school, so I was learning more tools, more techniques, more theories alongside the students. Together, we’re learning the most up-to-date skills, and I’m able to see and report back to them how it’s all being applied to the field.”
In 2023, Castro experienced a full-circle moment when a school counseling position opened in the Delhi Unified School District. In just two years, he was able to implement a comprehensive school counseling program that produced success similar to what he saw in Livingston.
“I couldn't say no to that opportunity because that's where I grew up, and I wanted to bring what I learned to those children who may be in a similar position I was in growing up,” Castro said. “It was so fast paced. In just two years I built a data-driven, comprehensive counseling program at my own site and led and mentored our elementary counseling team in developing aligned, data-driven programs across all three schools. Seeing the children blossom makes it all incredibly rewarding."
In his first year at Hoover Middle School in the Merced City School District, where the students are older and the district is bigger, Castro is steadfast in his mission to positively impact lives.
“That’s my next step, to work on a bigger scale,” he said. “My vision for the district is for every student to have access to the resources provided by a data-driven, comprehensive counseling program. From there, hopefully, we can make it countywide. With continued results, it can show just how important school counselors can be in the lives of students.”
