Maria Castaneda worked two reception jobs and enjoyed the nightlife as an 18-year-old student at DVC in 1992. A few academic probations and a dismissal or two later, she found herself sitting in counselor Lupe Dannels’ office.

The meeting marked a major turning point in her life.

Sixteen years later, Castaneda, now Maria Dorado, is ready to return the favor.She is one of three newly hired, full-time counselors at the college this semester. “I really lucked out because this is always what I wanted to do,” Dorado said, “and few people get to do what they really want to.”

Now 34 and the mother of a 2- year-old boy, she is married to Francisco Dorado, also a former DVC student. They ran against each other for the presidency of the Latino Student Alliance, club they formed with Dannels and drama instructor Ed Trujillo as advisers.

The club had many first-generation college students and acted as a support group in which the members helped each other figure things out along the way. The club is still running today, and Dorado’s niece is now involved.Amazed at what a little guidance and encouragement could do, Dorado said she decided to do for others what Dannels had done for her.

After six years of “trial and error” at DVC, she transferred to San Francisco State University in 1999 and continued to Michigan State College of Education, where she earned a master’s degree in counseling.

Dorado said she never forgot her dream of working at DVC and constantly looked at the college district’s human resources website, waiting for her opportunity to apply.

After working for three years in Michigan, she and her husband returned to California. The day after their move in November, 2007, Dorado was hired part time to teach a Counseling 120 class. On Aug. 11, she started living her dream as a DVC counselor. Dorado said enjoys working with students especially those who are down on themselves for being on academic probation and simply feel lost and unsure. “I have been there, done that,” Dorado said she tells them. “It happens to the best of us. It is in the past; time to start fresh.”