2025 School Counselor of the Year, New Jersey State Representative:
VIVIANA MONCADA
The New Jersey School Counselor Association (NJSCA) School Counselor of the Year program honors the best of the best in New Jersey -- school counselors who are running a top-notch, comprehensive school counseling program at either the elementary, middle or high school level. This year’s school counselor of the year candidates completed an extensive application process and were judged by a panel of counseling professionals on multiple criteria, including school counseling innovations, effective school counseling programs, leadership skills, and contributions to student achievement.
Viviana Moncada has worked as a School Counselor at Francis Desmares Elementary School since 2019, but has been supporting students in NJ Public Schools for 18 years prior. In addition to serving Desmares’ 422 students throughout the school year, she facilitates group and individual sessions during the summer with Kindergarten to 8th Grade students from all Flemington Raritan School Districts’ schools.
After receiving her Bachelor’s Degree in Occupational Therapy in 1993 in Colombia, S.A., she obtained her Masters Degree in Counseling from Kean University in 2019. Working as a bilingual school counselor, she has dedicated her career to fostering an environment where every student and family feels valued, understood, and supported. Her work primarily centers around serving ELL students and their families, a role that has allowed her to advocate for inclusion and equity in truly meaningful and transformative ways.
“I believe every student can learn if they have the proper support system and the opportunity to do so. The student's ability to learn, however, could be influenced by many things outside of the school day. As a school counselor, I do everything in my power to consider these factors and help the student to be as successful as possible, both during the learning process and throughout life.”
Mrs. Moncada’s assistance includes addressing any personal, social, or family situations that may impact the student’s mental health, whether that be through individual counseling sessions, group sessions, guided group lessons, or supporting and connecting families with the community resources they need.
Some notable achievements of her time at Desmares include organizing parent evenings, launching two new after-school programs for recently immigrated and existing ELL students (the Newcomers and Friendship Groups respectively), coordinating a 3-week summer program for students in the district, and overseeing the VAMOS Program, which helps prepare incoming Kindergarten students for school.
She also conducts workshops for teachers and staff, addressing different social-emotional challenges that can impact their students’ academic success. Mrs. Moncada also enriches students' education by organizing field trips, providing them with life-learning experiences they might not otherwise have access to, and collaborating with local donors to arrange holiday season donations for families in need.
In addition to being named New Jersey State School Counselor of the Year, Mrs. Moncada was previously named Educational Support Professional of the Year in 2022-2023 and the Hunterdon County School Counselor of the Year in the 2023-2024 school year. She is currently a member of the Hunterdon County School Counselor Association, the New Jersey School Counselor Association, and the American School Counselor Association.
Click here to read about past NJ State School Counselor of the Year representatives.
The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) celebrates state representatives for the School Counselor of the Year program.
The School Counselor of the Year program honors the professionals who devote their careers to serving as advocates for the nation’s students, helping them achieve success in school and in life.
View video message from Michelle Obama.
Nominations for the School Counselor of the Year awards program are submitted by the state school counselor associations. State representatives were selected based on several criteria, including: school counseling innovations, effective school counseling programs, leadership and advocacy skills and contributions to student advancement.
“School counselors make significant contributions to the overall well‐being of students and their success,” said Richard Wong, Ed.D., executive director, American School Counselor Association. “They have unique qualifications and skills that allow them to address students’ academic achievement, career development and social/emotional needs.”
About the American School Counselor Association
The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) professional organization based in Alexandria, Va. ASCA promotes student success by expanding the image and influence of professional school counseling through leadership, advocacy, collaboration and systemic change. ASCA helps school counselors guide their students toward academic achievement, career planning and social/emotional development to help today’s students become tomorrow’s productive, contributing members of society. Founded in 1952, ASCA currently has a network of 50 state associations and a membership of approximately 30,000 school counseling professionals. For additional information on the American School Counselor Association, visit www.schoolcounselor.org.
About the New Jersey School Counselor Association
The New Jersey School Counselor Association is the organization which represents professional school counseling in New Jersey. The organization promotes excellence in the school counseling profession and to advocate for the development of all students. Click here to learn more.