For Karina Collado, her job as a bilingual therapist at Mirabal Sisters Campus’ Health and Wellness Center is more than just providing counseling services for students—she advocates for her clients every day. She said that her job is to strengthen the individual, lift their self-esteem, and aid them in reaching their goals.

“I’m not here to make judgments,” said Karina. “I’m not here to tell them what to do. My job is to listen and help them make better decisions.”

On a weekly basis, Karina sees about 30 students, and provides them with the tools they need to thrive not only in school, but also at home. She links her students to educational services, after-school activities, and resources to address learning disabilities. Most importantly, she advocates for her clients in times of crisis, when feelings of depression and high levels of anxiety are most likely to arise. Her job is to assess the situation and the client’s needs, then provide the necessary recommendations.

“We have to deal with what is the current need of the student,” she said.

What makes Children’s Aid so fortunate to have Karina is her ability to connect with students. To Karina, her job is not about jumping to conclusions or judging the student on what brought them to the clinic. It’s about getting to know the client as a person.

“I tell them, ‘You are an individual. Your problems are not you,’” she said.

After she graduated from SUNY New Paltz, Karina landed a job as a youth coordinator at the Riverdale Neighborhood House, where she organized and facilitated workshops to prepare students for future careers and college success. Her experience led her to earn her master’s degree in social work from SUNY Stony Brook. Prior to Children’s Aid, Karina volunteered with AmeriCorps and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

“It has always been in me, the need to want to give back to my community and to know that the work I do makes a difference,” she said.

Karina realizes that there are challenges to her position, but what makes her job so important, she says, is when the “light bulb” turns on in a student. It is then that she knows she is truly making a difference.