Support Services

My name is Norma Magdaleno and I go by Ms. Magdaleno. This year, I have been assigned as the Class of 2023 Counselor. It will be a pleasure and an honor to be your Counselor for the next two years. It has been a pleasure getting to know so many of you already and I look forward to continuing to get to know you better, especially as we prepare for senior year next year. Please see below to learn a little bit more about me. 

I am a first-generation college graduate too. I am proud of being bilingual and bicultural. How did my education journey begin? It began with my parents leaving everything they had behind in my native country to come search for better opportunities for their children in a promising country. I graduated in 2010 from high school and it was then that I decided to carry my parent’s dream of having a better future into action. I attended Sacramento State beginning fall of 2010 and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Child Development and a minor in counseling. I received my Master’s Degree in Counseling from Sonoma State University in May 2016. I was lucky to have completed my internship at Vintage High School where I was then hired to work with the graduating/senior class (Class of 2018). Since then, I have been at VHS. I recently graduated the Class of 2021 with whom I had the honor of working for all of their four years of high school. This school year, I now have the privilege to be working with the junior class (Class of 2023). This class will be my third graduating class from VHS. What led me into pursuing a career in counseling? Many factors. One big influential factor was having a wonderful school counselor who guided and helped me achieve my highest potential. My passion for helping others, especially our youth was another influential factor. As a former NVUSD student myself, I was part of programs like AVID, Migrant Education, Talent Search, and ELD; all which played an important role in shaping who I am today. I want my students to know that when they have a goal and a plan, everything is possible. To all of my students, please know that anything is possible, Si Se Puede!!! 

In 2019, I became a mother. I now have a toddler. My son’s name is Mateo Emiliano. He keeps me busy all the time. Family time is extremely important for me. I come from a humble and hard working family. Providing the best I can for my family is the reason why I wake up every morning. 

Please know that you can request to meet with me anytime. I can work with you in the areas of academic, college/career, and personal/social-emotional counseling. I have open/drop in office hours every day during break, and lunch.  

I too am a first-generation college graduate. I graduated from Vintage High School in 2000 and felt prepared when I started my undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley. I double majored in Political Science and Communications. I had the fortune of studying abroad in Florence, Italy for a semester, and have never been the same since. My eyes were opened to the world and I continue to take advantage of every chance I can to travel and immerse myself in other cultures. After Cal, I took some time deciding between law school and becoming a teacher, my passion to help others won. I got my single subject teaching credential at UC Davis. I worked as a high school English teacher at Napa HIgh for 5 years. It was there that I became an AVID teacher and my whole teaching career shifted. I guided 36 students from 9th-12th grade and all of my AVID students were accepted to a 4 year college. It was then I decided to become a high school counselor, so I could help more students access higher education. I got my Masters in Counseling at St. Mary’s College and was quickly hired at Vintage as the College and Career Counselor, which was a dream job. I have been a grade level counselor for 5 years now. I am currently serving as the 12th Grade counselor for the AMAZING class of 2022. I believe that I called to do this work and know that investing in our future is beyond rewarding. I am a mom to Harper 14 months and step-mom to Ione and Zoe, 13 and 15. I do my best to take care of all children the way I would my own. Every student deserves to be seen and heard and I will continue to work hard every day so that all of my students feel supported in this way. 

I arrived in Calistoga, CA as a child. I am an immigrant from Mexico and I am honored to have gone through local public schools. When I first arrived in the U.S. I attended Calistoga Elementary School and was categorized as an English Language Learner. I continued my education at Calistoga Junior/Senior High School and then decided to attend Santa Rosa Junior College. I am a first-generation college student, as my parents never got the opportunity to continue their education. I transferred from Santa Rosa Junior College to Sonoma State University to earn a Bachelor's of Art in Sociology and minor in Political Science. In 2014, after an educational pause, I was able to re-enroll in Sonoma State’s M.A. in Counseling (Pupil Personnel Services Credential) program; which I finished in May 2016. I started my professional career in Sonoma and I’m now fortunate enough to be a School Counselor at Vintage. I am one of three siblings (the youngest); I enjoy sports (football, track and field, tennis, basketball, baseball and soccer etc); I am bilingual in English and Spanish; and I’m interested in improving my French. I enjoy advocating for social justice and I feel we all need to be more involved in the political system. Please reach out to me with anything.

I am a home grown Napa girl.  I attended Bel Air Elementary, Redwood Middle School, and graduated Vintage High School in 1994.  I was the first in my family to go to college and started by attended Napa Valley College.  I then transferred to the University of Southern California (Fight On!) and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science.  After a short stint in working for the California State Assembly, I went back to graduate school and earned a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Chapman University.  I am so proud to work at Vintage High School and give back to the community who raised me.  I started at VHS in 2005 and had the privilege to serve the graduating classes of 2006, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020.  I truly believe that education is the key to creating a future full of opportunity.  It is a great honor to walk alongside our students on the journey of their youth and help them find a path that is right for each individual person.