For Mater Dei seniors, the college application process can feel like navigating a maze of deadlines, essays, and future career decisions. Behind the scenes, the MD Counseling Department works tirelessly to ensure students don’t just complete applications, but instead approach the process with confidence and clarity.

According to Administrative Assistant Elizabeth Boyle, the department’s primary goal is to ensure that each student is prepared for academic success and feels heard throughout the process. Counselors build relationships with these students during their high school careers, especially from junior to senior year, by providing tailored guidance. The support they provide extends beyond academics. 

“We do check-ins just to make sure [students are] socially [and] emotionally okay because it’s a stressful time,” Boyle explains.

Counselors are constantly innovating to meet student needs. They make special efforts to build this relationship with students by offering open office hours, hosting workshops on Common App, UC, and CSU applications, and coordinating with the mental health team to make resources accessible to students on campus and at home. School Counselor Monica Celaya further describes the behind-the-scenes work the Counseling Department commits itself to. 

“At the heart of everything we do is support our students,” Celaya said. “We are always asking ourselves how we can make processes smoother or more streamlined.” 

Part of the Counselors’ job includes managing the sheer volume of tasks that accompany senior year. Counselors juggle reviewing essays, answering time-sensitive questions, writing letters of recommendation, and providing emotional support, all while keeping dozens of students on track simultaneously. The work requires precision, patience, and a constant readiness to shift priorities as deadlines approach. 

“It’s definitely a challenge to balance dozens of seniors at once, but careful organization ensures each student receives attention,” Celaya said.

Mater Dei students notice the impact and dedication of the counseling staff. Senior Anabelle Vitug credits her counselor with helping her navigate school choices and assisting in mapping colleges that align with her goals and interests. In addition, she found the workshops they offer very valuable.

“[They] always check in on me to make sure I am doing everything right,” Vitug said. “The most helpful resources were the workshops for Common App, UC, and CSU… to show the best version of myself to colleges.” 

For Vitug, the personal connection made a lasting difference. Her counselor did not just look at her GPA or résumé; she took the time to understand her personality, ambitions, and the environment in which she would thrive. That individualized support shaped her confidence throughout the process.

“My counselor took the time to get to know me on more than just an academic level so that she could send me on the best and right path,” Vitug said.

What sets Mater Dei’s program apart, Boyle observes, is their holistic approach. By combining academic guidance, personal mentorship, and practical tools, counselors transform a period of stress into a time of growth and opportunity.

“More than ever, we’re showing the students here that there’s education, but there’s also career and life, and all of those things can mesh together,” Boyle said.

In every meeting, workshop, and rep visit, Mater Dei counselors exemplify dedication, expertise, and care. Their work ensures that seniors leave prepared not only for college applications but for the next steps in life.

“Ultimately, I am a firm believer that students end up exactly where they are meant to be even if it’s [a] detour to another place,” Celaya said. “There are valuable lessons to be gained no matter where we go!”