Honoring Our Guam Leaders

Estela L. Calata Named 2020 Guam School Counselor of the Year

Estela Calata, a GDOE school counselor at Wettengel Elementary School was named the 2020 Guam School Counselor of the Year by the Guam Association of School Counselors (GASC).

Calata holds a BS in Commerce from Ateneo De Zamboanga University and an MA in Counseling from the University of Guam. She has been a school counselor at Wettengel Elementary School (WES) since 2002 and has 34 years of experience in the private and public school system.

The School Counselor of the Year award honors professionals who devote their careers to advocating for students and addressing their academic and social/emotional development and college and career readiness needs. Calata, through her professional pursuits and volunteer work, has shown that she is invested in promoting student success and achievement and furthering the advancement of the school counseling profession on Guam. Not only has she developed and implemented a comprehensive school counseling program at WES for the past 17 years, she has also been a strong advocate for the implementation and adoption of the ASCA National Model in the GDOE school system.

Calata was instrumental in the establishment of GASC and has served as secretary from 2004-2014 and president from 2015 to the present. Under her leadership, GASC became the 52nd division chapter of the American School Counselor Association and the first U.S. territory to be granted ASCA affiliate status.

When asked what gives her purpose and inspires her, Calata replies with "Ad majorem, dei gloriam" or generosity in the service of others. She truly lives by example: in her spare time she teaches CCD or catechism classes for pre-confirmation students at the Blessed Diego San Vitores Parish in Tumon. She is married to Winston Calata and resides in the village of Tamuning, Guam. As one who believes in the value of self-care, she is an avid reader of inspirational books about mindfulness, meditation and alternative healing therapies.

Calata was selected by panel of five judges representing the private and public sectors of our community. Their selection was based on Calata’s ability to make lasting change within the profession through leadership, collaboration and advocacy.

Celebrating School Counseling

By Hernalin Analista

To kick off National School Counseling Week festivities and celebrate with the rest of the nation, Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero declared the week of February 3-7, 2020 as National School Counseling Week in a proclamation-signing ceremony on January 30, 2020, at the Governor’s conference room in Adelup. Many school counselors and stakeholders attended this public event to witness the signing and the induction of new GASC Officers and Board of Directors for the term 2020–2022.


Governor Lou Leon Guerrero administers the oath of office to the GASC board members.
 

Incoming GASC Officers and Board of Directors Term: July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2022	Outgoing GASC Officers and Board of Directors Term: July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2020
Estela Calata: President	Estela Calata: President
Nadine Cruz: Executive Vice President, President Elect & SCOY Committee Chair	Patricia Terlaje: Executive Vice President
Patricia Terlaje: Vice President for Post-Secondary Schools & By-Laws Committee Chair	Nadine Cruz: Vice President for Secondary Schools
Leilani Guerrero: Vice President for Secondary Schools & Advocacy Committee Chair	Mary Bais: Vice President for Elementary Schools, Ways & Means Director
Brenda Porter: Vice President for Elementary Schools & Secretary	Brenda Porter: Secretary
Lynnette Quitugua: Treasurer	Lynette Quitugua: Treasurer
Rose Marie Nanpei: Membership Director	Rose Marie Nanpei: Membership Director
Sharon Oliveros: Professional Development Director	Margaret Sablan: Professional Development Director
Hernalin Analista: Research & Publications Director	Hernalin Analista: Research & Publications Director
Dhyana Edwards: Ways & Means Director	Marie Balbin: By-Laws Committee Chair

We are extremely grateful to all of these officers and directors (new and old) who have taken on the challenge to further the mission of GASC and promote the advancement of our counseling profession. You give of yourselves in countless ways and we appreciate your tireless dedication and volunteerism.

The ceremony also included the announcement of Guam’s 2020 School Counselor of the Year winner, Estela Calata. Way to go Estela – your hard work and heart work have been duly noted!

Guests of the proclamation event enjoyed a reception made possible by the University of Guam’s Endowment Foundation. This was a great way to initiate collaborative work and partnerships with institutions of higher education and explore potential opportunities to improve students’ college and career readiness, and address the professional development needs of our counselors who are largely UOG alumni.

GASC thanks all of the school counselors, administrators, parents, students, community partners, volunteers and members of the community who have so generously donated their time, service and resources to support the work of school counselors. Un Dangkulo’ Na Si Yu’os Ma’ase!