by Andraya Hamilton

Mr. Noe Mendoza is the counselor for the Class of 2013 seniors at Reedley High School. He has been a member of the RHS staff for six years, and a member of the Kings Canyon Unified School District for eight years in all. Mr. Mendoza attended Fresno High School and after graduation continued on to Fresno City College. He continued to further his education at San Diego Mesa College, and finally Fresno State University.

Mr. Mendoza has worked as an instructor or counselor in several places. As a counselor, he has experience with second and third grade, middle school, and high school. As an instructor, he ha worked at Fresno City College and was an instructor in a Juvenile Hall facility. When asked what made him aspire to a career as a counselor, he stated, “The ability to make personal connections with students and their families.”

Noe Mendoza

Being a senior myself this year, and having Mr. Mendoza as my counselor all four years of my high school experience, I appreciate that he is able to make that connection, and most of the students at RHS feel the same. RHS senior Meghan Hernandez says, “He is very good about letting you know your options and keeping you well informed and up-to-date on everything you need to do to be on track.” Other comments about Mr. Mendoza praised his patience, great listening abilities, and the fact that he is willing to go the extra mile to help a student who needs it.

Mendoza stated, “There is no easy grade level to counsel, but senior year is definitely the hardest.” I’ve been witness to, and cause of, how hard Mr. Mendoza works for the seniors. He makes checklists for the semesters, comes in our classes to keep us up-to-date on where we need to be on college applications, assembles the College Connection Newsletter, and writes letters for any student who asks for a recommendation.

Mr. Mendoza is very dedicated, hardworking, and extremely kind. He works with students to make them happy and comfortable in their classes at RHS, he pushes them to take harder classes if he knows they are capable, and he encourages them to work toward their dreams. He is a great counselor and our Class of 2013 is lucky to have had him with us along the path to our futures.

Andraya Hamilton is a senior at Reedley High School, where she is taking several AP classes & is the president and founder of the Book Club. Andraya plans to attend a university on the East Coast, major in English, and someday become an editor/publisher.