IRVING, Texas — Sofia Lopez, Irving Independent School District's director of At-Risk and Responsive Services, has received the 2026 Counselor Supervisor of the Year Award from the Lone Star State School Counselor Association (LSSSCA), recognizing her leadership in expanding mental health services and supporting students facing difficult circumstances.
The statewide award honors supervisors who demonstrate outstanding leadership, mentorship and advocacy for school counselors while improving counseling programs and access to student services.
Lopez has spent more than a decade with Irving ISD, working to strengthen counseling programs and ensure students receive the support they need both inside and outside the classroom.
She joined the district in 2012 as a school counselor at Good Elementary School before moving to Houston Middle School. In 2018, she transitioned to the district's administration building, where she began helping develop counseling services and procedures for responding to student crises.
Today, Lopez oversees mental health support and training for school counselors, threat assessments and programs assisting pregnant and parenting students, students experiencing homelessness and children in foster care.
She also works with campus administrators to identify students who need additional support and connect their families with available resources.
For Lopez, receiving the statewide recognition is meaningful, but it also serves as a reminder that more work remains.
"The work that I'm doing matters," Lopez said. "But it also means that the work is not done."
Bringing Intensive Mental Health Care Closer to Irving ISD Students
One of Lopez's proudest accomplishments is helping bring a partial hospitalization program to Irving ISD, allowing students who need intensive mental health treatment to receive services closer to home while continuing their education.
She recalled one student who had experienced repeated hospitalizations before receiving support through the program.
With continued treatment and cooperation among school staff and the student's family, he made significant progress and eventually graduated.
"Everybody just kept working with him," Lopez said. "Just him knowing that he had a whole team behind him encouraged him to keep going."
Lopez believes stories like his demonstrate how access to mental health care can make a difference in a student's academic future.
Students dealing with serious personal challenges or unmet basic needs may struggle to concentrate on schoolwork, making early intervention and accessible services especially valuable.
Her work extends beyond counseling offices. By coordinating with administrators and families, Lopez helps address obstacles that can prevent students from succeeding academically.
She hopes the award will also draw greater attention to student mental health needs and encourage community members to advocate for additional resources.
"If we don't have it, then I figure out a way to bring it to the district," Lopez said.
The Lone Star State School Counselor Association supports school counselors across Texas through professional development, resources and advocacy.
Lopez plans to continue strengthening Irving ISD's counseling services and helping counselors, administrators and families access the support their students need.
