Meet Glenda Sorto–Investing Herself in This Place that Changes Lives!
Glenda Sorto is an academic success counselor at NOVA’s Woodbridge Campus. She is halfway through her ninth year working at NOVA and will celebrate her 10-year anniversary in February 2022.
Born in San Salvador, El Salvador, she was raised by her grandmother. She says, to this day, if she calls her grandmother “Abuelita,” she gets in trouble. Her grandmother likes for her to call her Mom.
Glenda says she was a very active child and Abuelita (aka “Mom”) had her hands full. Glenda was involved in school activities: music, band, dancing, Girl Scouts and lots of other activities. The school day ran from 7 a.m. until noon. In the afternoon, she would have band practice and then head home for a home cooked meal, homework and then often, off to the beach with her grandmother. The beach for Glenda is her “happy place.”
And, in the “pay it forward” category, Glenda is now helping to raise her siblings, a 12-year-old sister and 14- and 21-year-old brothers. She says they love keeping her busy with “Soccer Sister” duties and keeping her up to speed on all the Gen-Z trends.
“I came to the United States and reunited with my father when I was 10 years old. I faced the challenge of learning a new language, new family structure and a completely different school system,” she said. “I believe that is one of the reasons why I can empathize with many immigrant students who have struggled trying to get adjusted to a new life in a new country. But I wouldn’t change a thing. Having lived in the U.S. most of my life, and meeting so many amazing people along the way, I have so much love and appreciation for both of my homelands — the United States and El Salvador.”
Glenda says she is passionate about empowering first-generation students and their families; providing information and teaching the importance of higher education, and helping to make them aware of all the opportunities available.
“Having worked with undocumented youth and lead group counseling for ‘newcomers’ at a local Title I school, I noticed the great need for support. So often, there is a lack of information for many of these students and families. There is information they were either not receiving, or maybe not understanding due to language barriers,” she said.
“I would say to any young person who is the first in their family to attend college what was said to me, ‘Believe in yourself. Ask for help when you need it, surround yourself with supportive people, utilize the resources available to you on campus and have fun!’ Sometimes students might not be aware of the many resources or opportunities that are available to them at NOVA.”
Sorto graduated from George Mason University with her undergraduate degree in psychology and her masters in counseling and development.
When asked why she chose to invest in NOVA for her career, she says, “NOVA represents an opportunity for anyone who wants to attain a higher ed. degree or program. This is a place that changes lives! Sometimes, we see the outcome right in front of us; and sometimes we see it years later, after students have graduated. This is an institution that opens its doors to anyone who wishes to be here and anyone who is willing to work hard to achieve their personal academic goals. That’s why I love it here! Having been a student, and having gone through the entire process myself, being able to come back and give back to the community has been extremely rewarding for me. That’s why I chose NOVA. I have met wonderful people in my years at NOVA, and I hope to continue to meet many more.”
Submitted by:
Kathy Thompson, Communications, KAThompson@nvcc.edu