Francisca de la Cruz
Professional School Counselor
Whitehouse Junior High, Whitehouse ISD

I was born and raised in Henderson, TX, about forty-five minutes east of Tyler.  After graduating high school, I served in the United States Marine Corps for nine and half years.  My primary Military Occupational Specialty was an 1141/Basic Electrician.  My B-Billet was a Marine Embassy Security Guard.  I was stationed in Camp Pendleton, California and served at the American Embassies in  Albania, New Zealand, and Russia.   In 2008, I completed my time in the Marine Corps and began my career in education.  I was an ESL Teacher for Tyler ISD and in 2011 I started my career as a middle school counselor at A.T. Stewart Middle School, Tyler ISD.  In 2014, I started working as a high school counselor for Whitehouse High School.  I am currently a school counselor at Whitehouse Junior High.    I was able to attend college during my time in the Marine Corps, but I had to search for colleges that served my educational and logistical needs.  I have a Bachelor’s in Social Psychology from Park University, Parkville, MS (2004).  I obtained my Post Baccalaureate Teaching Certificate from Stephen University, Nacogdoches, TX (2008).  I received my Master of Arts in School Counseling from University of Texas at Tyler (2012).    I am very passionate about serving students and helping them reach their educational goals while overcoming personal challenges.  I believe that with good mentorship and support students can achieve their goals.