Counselor (Puente)

Veronica Hand

Veronica Hand

Counselor (Puente)
Counseling Department, Puente
(408) 855-5362
[email protected]
Office Location: SEC 139

Veronica Hand serves Mission College students in the Puente Program She is bilingual in Spanish and English. Motivated by helping students grow and learn about themselves, she loves working with college students because college is a time when people can explore who they want to be and transform as individuals. Read about her journey from student to Counselor in the Puente Program.

Although Veronica has a graduate degree, she encountered challenges that could have prevented her from succeeding. According to Dr. Victor Rios, At-Promise students already possess the tools necessary to succeed in school, but just need support and assistance to utilize those tools. These challenges included the following.

  • First-generation and low-income college student.
  • Undecided on major when I began college.
  • Placed in remedial math classes at start of college experience.

Education

  • MA, Social Sciences in Education (focus in Higher Ed), Stanford University
  • MA, Education Counseling, San Jose State University
  • BA, Journalism, Minor in Spanish, San Jose State University

Privilege Acknowledgement

Privilege is an unearned advantage that is highly valued but restricted to certain groups. Everyone has some form of privilege. Acknowledging your privilege does not mean you believe you are better than others. It is a way of demonstrating gratitude for an advantage you have and acknowledging that those without the advantage experience the world differently than you do.

According to Veronica, "one of my privileged identities is being a U.S. Citizen. I have many students who are undocumented and I try to always be sensitive to the fact that others may not have the same privileges I have simply because of where I was born. To be a better counselor I stay informed on important issues affecting undocumented students so that I can work with them and provide them the best support possible."

Fast Facts

Veronica's favorite food is pizza. She loves to dance, especially to Latin music. Both her and her mother attended Mission College.