At 16 years old, Ms. Rivera barely knew how to take the SATs.

Ms. Rivera was born in Bronx County, New York, and she moved to New Jersey at 15 years old. “It was a moment in my life where I learned a lot really really quickly,” she said. “Being raised in New York City, you don’t see things because we’re so diverse, and then I moved to Ocean County, New Jersey, where I was the only one that looked like myself or sounded like myself.”

“I always wanted to go to college,” she said, “but I was not really supported at all.”

As the Supervisor of School Counseling, Ms. Rivera ensures that all students receive the same support. “That’s been my passion to be a better school counselor. Everyone gets seen, no matter who they are,” she said.

“If you say you want to go to college, I’ll help you get there. If you say ‘I don’t know,’ I’m going to help you figure it out.”

Come December, Morris Hills will say a teary-eyed goodbye after 22 years as Ms. Rivera transitions to Morris Knolls, where she’ll take over the Adult High School. She hopes to continue setting students on a better path and help them “see that there’s still opportunity after that.”

Reflecting on her time at Morris Hills, Ms. Rivera will miss the holiday traditions, such as wearing Santa hats with the administrative team and listening to students’ Christmas carols.

She’ll also miss her students’ dreams come true on Acceptance Day and seeing their four years of hard work pay off. “We have tough ones too, but then they realize it was meant to be, which has always been my message,” Ms. Rivera said. “If they didn’t want you, they didn’t deserve you.”

Morris Hills won’t be the same without Ms. Rivera. We’ll miss her welcoming presence and unwavering support, and we’re excited to see how she continues to inspire students to reach their full potential.

Ms. Rivera said, “I always believe that even if you touch one person, it’s one person more than there was before. I knew I couldn’t change the world, but I just wanted to change one person.”