Occupation for Helping Others

After graduating from CCHS in 1974, Heather attended California State University, Fresno. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1979. An accomplished student, she was named to the Dean’s list. She was proactive in her co-curricular activities and held the office of President for the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. Heather attended the University of San Francisco where she received her Masters of Science degree in 1989.

Heather has a very impressive resume; she developed and was Director of a program that provided Substance Abuse Counseling to juvenile offenders in Juvenile Hall, in Modesto. She was the Director of First Step, a Perinatal Substance Abuse Program. She worked for a time in Casa Colina Rehabilitation Hospital as a Recreational Therapist. Heather has been in private practice since 1993. She started her own private practice, Serenity Counseling, in Modesto in 1996 as a Licensed Marriage Family Therapist and is continuing to practice in the same location.

Heather is an accomplished author; she was featured in a rehabilitation article for Casa Colina, highlighting the first transitional living center in the country for head trauma. She is an author of three books, Serenity, the Peaceful Dolphin series. She has been featured in the Modesto Bee; an article about Heather owning her own business, and also was in the yearly Modesto Bee's Women in Business.

She is very active in the community of CCHS and was instrumental in the organization of the 35th year reunion. In addition she consulted with CCHS regarding Substance Abuse Policy. Heather states “First of all God is Great!! As a non-Catholic who attended Central from 1970-1974, I believed in a higher education. Central gave that to me. Not only did I receive a college prep education, I also received a sense of family and caring from the teachers and staff. Over the years I have encouraged individuals to attend Central and three years ago my faith brought me to the Church and I am now an "official" Catholic. Central creates an environment of ethics, encouragement and concern for its students. Only those that have attended can understand what the high school gives and I encourage all to give back”.