Academic Counselors

If you have questions regarding courses, scheduling, or college preparation please contact the counselor or administrator assigned to your academy.

ACME

Counselor: Brian Rodda (roddab@mdusd.org)

Administrator: Courtney Lyon, Vice Principal (lyonc@mdusd.org)

DSA

Counselor: Yaretzie Amaya (amayay@mdusd.org)

Administrator: Ronald Little, Vice Principal (littler@mdusd.org)

IHTA

Counselor: Maria Torres-Shahan (torresshahanm@mdusd.org)

Administrator: Lorne Barbosa, Principal (barbosal@mdusd.org)

MBTA

Counselor: Mala Datta (dattam@mdusd.org)

Administrator: Katherine Bloomer, Vice Principal (bloomerk@mdusd.org) 

World

Counselor: Brian Rodda (roddab@mdusd.org)

Administrator: Karen Salazar, ELL Program Administrator (salazark@mdusd.org)

ALL ACADEMIES

College & Career Advisor:       Brian Brown (brownbb@mdusd.org)

CTE/Pathways Counselor:       Shawna Puma (pumas@mdusd.org)

Hola! My name is Ms. Amaya, I am the school counselor for Digital Safari Academy (DSA). This is my first year at Mt. Diablo High and I’m excited to be a part of the school’s student support system. I received my undergraduate degree at UC Santa Cruz in Legal Studies with a minor in Education. Additionally, I have a Masters in school counseling and Associate in Professional Clinical Counseling from the University of San Francisco. Prior to Mt. Diablo, I worked in the immigration legal field, interned at schools in OUSD and PUSD along with Contra Costa Behavioral Health. I am thrilled to be a part of the Mt. Diablo High community! I look forward to empowering, advocating and fostering a safe environment for our youth and families. Go Red Devils!

Hello!  My name is Mala Datta and I am the school counselor for the Medical Biotechnology Academy (MBTA). This is my first year at Mt Diablo High School and I am so excited to be part of the Red Devil family!   I received my Bachelor's (BA) Degree in English Literature from UCLA and my Master's Degree (MS) in Counseling with an Associate Marriage and Family Therapy (AMFT) from Cal State University East Bay.  I previously worked at the collegiate level at UC Berkeley Extension in the Biotechnology Dept. and have over 15 years experience in the educational development field.  Providing students with the social-emotional and academic tools necessary to be successful, both academically and socially, is one of my favorite parts of the job.  I love empowering students to discover their strengths and reach their goals. I look forward to working and supporting our Mt Diablo High School Community!

My name is Shawna Puma and I am the Career Pathways/CTE Counselor. I have been a school counselor since 2005 and have provided counseling for all grade levels. I received my bachelors in Psychology at California State University, Chico, my masters is in Educational Counseling from National University, my PsyD in Applied Clinical Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Irvine and I am currently working on my Masters in Social Work from Brandman University. I will be working with ACME, DSA, IHTA, and MBTA academies providing secondary support to students. I am excited to work with all of you. You can reach me at 925-682-4030 extn. 3410

Hello, my name is Brian Rodda and I am the ACME counselor here at MDHS.  This is my 18^th year as a school counselor.  I have an open door policy and I encourage students to come see me anytime, even if it is to just say hello.  I received my Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from CSU Chico (Go Wildcats) and my Master’s degree in Educational Counseling from National University.  I am here to help you with your academic needs, social and emotional needs as well as college, career and any other post-secondary goals.  I grew up in Northern California and love talking about sports, cars, photography, hiking, outdoors, camping, cooking, fishing, etc. so feel free to talk to me about anything, as my hobbies and interests list is very expansive.  I look forward to working with you during this exciting school year.  Welcome to Mount Diablo High School, go Red Devils.

Hello MDHS Student & Families, my name is Maria Torres-Shahan and I am the School Counselor for the International Hospitality & Tourism Academy for the 2021/2022 School Year at Mt. Diablo High School. I am excited to be part of the Mt. Diablo High School family and to have the opportunity to work with you! I am a San Francisco Bay Area native and have been in public school for most of my education. I am a Deer Valley graduate, attended Diablo Valley College and Los Medanos College, then San Francisco State University (B.A. in Psychology), and lastly St. Mary’s College (Masters in Counseling). I’ve been working in public education for roughly 13 years, in various positions from working in the office, substitute teaching and now as a School Counselor. My goal is to work with you in planning for your future. This could mean focusing on academics, as well as assistance in managing social and emotional situations. I am here to work with you in exploring, choosing, and executing your goals.

 

All students must make an appointment in advance to meet with a counselor.

Monday - Friday

8:30am to 3:00pm

Appointment Request Form - Please fill out to schedule an appointment with your counselor to discuss various topics. There are no Drop-in hours at this time.

Assembly Bill (AB) 104 requires school districts to implement policies that give students opportunities to counteract the impact of the pandemic on students' academic achievement and graduation credits. The new law, which went into effect on July 1, 2021, includes options that include requesting retention for eligible students, changing grades to a Pass or No Pass for students enrolled in high school last year, and waiving local district graduation requirements that exceed the state credit and course minimums for students who were juniors or seniors in the 2020-21 school year.  

Learn more about AB 104: AB 104 Slides

Complete the form below if you'd like to request a grade change. Students now have additional time to request grade changes from letter-based grading to Pass/No Pass. Please contact your counselor with any questions.

mdhscounselors