Risa Cates, MS, CSC
Hello, students and parents! I am feeling very excited and blessed to begin my 28th year in education (24 of those spent right here at Alvin Elementary (Primary!)). My first group of 2nd graders (way back in the year 2000 and when I was still Miss McBride!!!) are now 31-32 years old! Wow! I hope they are living their best life and achieving their dreams. (Come see me - I'd love to hear from you all!)
This school year marks my 17th as your Alvin Primary School Counselor. As always, I want to thank you for entrusting us with your most precious little ones! I firmly believe learning is important and school should be fun so I look forward to working with you, teachers, administrators, and staff to help every child at Alvin Elementary have the best school year ever! If you have any questions, hesitations, or concerns, please feel free to call or come see me in person.
A little bit about myself and my educational background:
I have a BA in Communications and Art from Stephen F. Austin State University, where I also took education classes. In 2009, I graduated from UHCL with a Masters in Counseling. Before becoming a counselor, though, I taught 2nd grade for 7 years (all here at Alvin Primary) and 7th and 8th Grade Language Arts at Harby Jr. High. I started my career in Education in Diboll ISD teaching 4th through 12th graders in the Diboll AEP, which was truly an awesome experience. My current role as School Counselor allows me to focus on helping students feel good about themselves, which also affects academic success. I believe school should be a fun experience and I love helping make that happen!
This year in my personal life, my husband Ross and I will celebrate our 22nd Anniversary (28 years together!) We have a smart, beautiful 20 year old daughter, Cameron, who loves to dance and is attending Texas A&M University in College Station. Gig 'em! Our 13 year old son Kellan, who enjoys reading, math, video games, chess, and tennis, has the biggest heart and is so loving. We all share our home with a girl cat named Gilbert and a girl dog named Lucy...who had two sweet pups, Willie and Waylon, in April of 2020! Our family L♥VES traveling, watching movies, eating out in restaurants, and spending time together.