Hello, I am Olga Alvarado and I am a career Social Worker and one of the Wellness Counselors. I bleed "Orange", I received both my undergrad and grad degrees from UT!! Go Horns!! Unfortunately, my three children did not have the same passion I did about UT and went to other universities, but that's OKAY... they found their own place and are so HAPPY! Which makes me HAPPY!!! I absolutely love anything crafting, from quilting to embroidery to making T-shirts on my Cricut. This summer I spent my time wrangling Rattlesnakes, well, my husband caught them, I ran screaming the other way... We needed to get the snakes under control since one had already bitten our puppy boxer, Lulu. No worries, Lulu is okay since she has had her Rattlesnake shots...whew! This year I am proud to be LASA's FIRST EVER CHEER COACH! Yeah! I am so excited to be a part of the program! The team has been working really hard and I can't wait to share and spread some LASA RAPTOR SPIRIT!

Hello, I am Shannon Cardona. I have over 24 years of real-world experience in the field of education; as a teacher, coach, and counselor, Early College High School Adjunct Professor, and G.E.D. instructor.

I completed my undergrad at St. Edward’s University. I have an M. Ed. in Administration from GCU as well as an M.S in Professional Counseling. I am also an LPC. I have a strong passion for mental health and working with children of all ages and their families.

I enjoy watching horror movies, hanging out with my wife Stephanie, and playing with our two dogs, Arya and Zoë. I am a big fan of Sci-fi/Fantasy and all things Marvel/DC.

Hi, my name is Susan Durham, and I am a proud new member of the LASA counseling team! Prior to working at LASA, I was a counselor at Crockett HS for 6 years where I had the privilege of working with some of the most experienced mentors and dedicated colleagues. 
I moved to Austin in 2016 and was a teacher at Webb MS for 3 years. Before moving to Austin, I lived in the Heights in Houston where I enjoyed engaging cultural events, live theater, museums, restaurants, music and festivals. I attended the University of Houston and earned my BA in Literature. After teaching in Houston ISD for many years, I decided to go back to school and earned my M.Ed. from the University of St. Thomas. I started my career in education as an elementary school teacher, then moved up to middle school and eventually high school. 
On a personal note, I am all about family and friends and enjoy spending as much time with them as possible. I enjoy reading, taking walks in nature and appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of Austin. I recently discovered the Austin Film Society Cinema and have seen some interesting films. Looking forward to being a part of the Raptor Family!

Vyasar Ganesan has been a college counselor at LASA since 2018, but he graduated from LASA in 2008! In the intervening years, he got his BA in English from Allegheny College and a MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University. He also served as an admissions counselor at Texas State University, where he learned to love the world of college counseling. He wrestled in high school (graduated 2008) and he is deeply excited about the sport and introducing it to a new generation of LASA wrestlers.

Greetings!

Originally from the small town of Waelder, TX (well really 7 miles outside of Waelder on my grandparents' farm), I was so excited to move to a place with more people than cows that I went to college in Texas's largest city, attending Rice University in Houston. The experience was so positive and transformative that I have spent the last 16 years either working in college admissions or college counseling.

On the college admissions side I have worked for Colorado State University and Colorado College which has given me some insights into admissions both at a large research university and a small highly competitive liberal arts college. The high school side is my favorite though as I love getting to know students and families over time and seeing students grow as they make one of the first big decisions in their life.

I am a counselor at heart! I took a career placement test in high school (in the dark ages) and it said that I should be a counselor! It just took me a few years and other career paths before I arrived. I attended Reagan High School so I am from the neighborhood. My parents have lived in their house in northeast Austin for 50 years! I attended Texas Tech University and Texas A&M University and received a degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. I taught high school chemistry (AP, honors, regular) for 14 years. I went back to school to get my Masters in Counseling and have been a part of the LASA counseling team for 8 years. I adore my students, my team, and being a Raptor!

My name is Cristina Torres and I am one of the academic counselors. I spent eighteen years in middle school before joining the “big kids” at LASA. Nine of those years were teaching math at Murchison MS and the other nine were spent counseling students at O. Henry MS. Prior to education, I worked for three years in sports marketing for the minor league Everett Aquasox baseball team and for the University of Tulsa athletics department.

I was born and raised in El Paso. I moved to Houston to attend Rice University and, after my time in sports marketing, eventually made my way back to El Paso to get my teaching certificate and masters from UTEP.

Outside of work I enjoy camping, sewing and crafting, musicals, puzzles and board games, and (let’s be honest) watching TV and lounging with my wife and dogs. Most importantly, I love working in education, helping students, and being a LASA Raptor!

Sandi Woodrow is an Academic Counselor at LASA. Prior to employment in Austin ISD, Ms. Woodrow served in the Arlington ISD for 18 years, as a teacher, a Special Education Counselor, and a School Counselor. She began her teaching career at age 20, at Fort Polk Elementary in Louisiana, where her husband was stationed as an Army Chaplain.

Ms. Woodrow completed her undergraduate work at Abilene Christian University with a B. S. in Education. She graduated with Masters degrees as each of her two sons graduated from high school. She has an M. Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Texas in Arlington and an M.S. in Counseling from the University of North Texas. She is also a Licensed Professional Counselor.

Ms. Woodrow lives in north Austin with her husband and enjoys the proximity to her sons’ families in Temple and Hutto. She has five treasured grandchildren and a host of other children who are precious to her that she loves spending time with. Ms. Woodrow enjoys hiking, reading, planning travel, and taking trips.