Ms. Daniella Quiroz is the newest asset on the Hampton Bays High School counseling staff this school year.
Ms. Quiroz was raised in Connetquot where she was heavily involved in her large school community, including being vice president of her class for four years. Coming to Hampton Bays, she was happily surprised that there are many of the same opportunities she enjoyed as a student. Ms. Quiroz loves the positive student involvement in the entirety of the Hampton Bays community.
Following her high school graduation, Ms. Quiroz attended SUNY Geneseo as an education major, but switched to studying psychology when she discovered her calling for counseling. During her time at Geneseo she became very immersed in the community. She joined a research group where she studied relationships between Latino siblings, was a teacher’s assistant for a cross-cultural psychology class and was in the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity. Additionally, she served as a resident assistant. While this was very stressful during the COVID-19 pandemic, it helped prepare her for her position now in Hampton Bays by allowing her an opportunity to interact with younger individuals and provide them guidance.
Upon earning her undergraduate degree from SUNY Geneseo, Ms. Quiroz attended Hunter College in Manhattan to pursue her graduate degree. She noted that Manhattan was often overwhelming, however attending school in the city was very beneficial in the sense that her surroundings were more diverse and she was able to immerse herself in different cultures. Growing up in Connetquot, she was only one of three people she knew that were Hispanic, and is fascinated by the variety of cultures in Hampton Bays. She also finds it extremely touching that different cultures are embraced rather than pushed aside in Hampton Bays. Just like going from Geneseo to Hunter college, she feels like Hampton Bays is a world away from western Long Island where she grew up, but she appreciates the differences.
Preferring to be farther east on Long Island to settle down into her career, Ms. Quiroz has enjoyed the Hampton Bays community so far. Ms. Quiroz stated, “You are on Long Island but you kind of feel like you are in a totally different world which is what sets Hampton Bays aside from other districts.” Being heavily involved in her own communities in the past, Ms. Quiroz was happy to witness the town’s support and participation during Hampton Bay’s homecoming.
Ms. Quiroz has found it touching that teachers embrace maintaining close relationships with their students. “Here I think it’s a good thing that student feel comfortable talking to administration and teachers in a way that you might not see in other places,” says Quiroz, which she feels gives Hampton Bays a “leg up.”
Outside of the school environment, Ms. Quiroz thoroughly enjoys embracing outdoors through hiking and nature walks as well as gardening which is a new hobby she picked up over the summer. “I try to be outside as often as possible,” says Ms. Quiroz.
In her time here at Hampton Bays, Ms. Quiroz is ready to make and strengthen connections with students and staff across the district. Becoming more immersed and involved in the Hampton Bays community is a goal of hers, as she has already left great impacts on students in her short time here in HBHS providing incredible help in the college admissions process as well as scheduling for the school.
