Mary Hesser, a long-time teacher and counselor at Christian Brothers High School in Sacramento, has been named the 2009 Distinguished Lasallian Educator for the District of San Francisco. The award will be presented at the annual Huether Conference held on November 21st in Cincinnati.

Ms. Hesser has been a valuable force at Christian Brothers High School for thirteen years. In addition to her responsibilities as Director of Guidance, Mary is the coordinator of various student programs, including Advanced Placement, Vocation Team, and Graduation. Most impressively, she has been a leader in grief counseling at the Sacramento high school which, in recent years, has experienced devastating losses in the deaths of several students, two teachers and the principal. The crisis counseling and follow-up support offered by Mary and her team in the wake of these events provided a model that has been shared with other Catholic high schools.

Colleagues who wrote in support of Ms. Hesser’s nomination praised her focus on students and her ability to address their spiritual growth: “What makes Mary’s college counseling distinct is that she is not simply concerned with helping students to select a college and career path, but also to self-reflect and uncover their vocation and what God is calling them to be.”

In addition to her accomplishments as an educator, Mary has been deeply involved in Lasallian formation and leadership, having attended the District Assemblies on Mission. She is a graduate of both the Buttimer and the Lasallian Leadership Institutes.

Mary is married to Noel Hesser, Principal of Justin-Siena High School in Napa.