Alum Returns to Inspire Generations to Come – School News Network

Kelloggsville – Brian Garcia-Palacios, a social worker from West Kelloggsville, sat at a table with Young Fives student Calvin Broden and showed him how to use scissors to cut out a paper apple as Calvin talked about his day.

Garcia-Palacios listened attentively, made suggestions and reminded Calvin to contact his teacher if he needed anything.

Being a supportive presence for Kelloggsville students is important to Garcia-Palacios; it is precisely the community that has nourished him throughout his education.

“I always tried different clubs and activities within and outside the district, and everyone was supportive,” he said. “For that reason, I wanted to give back to the district and support the students and staff who have helped me along the way.”

Build a rocket and shoot it away

Garcia-Palacios grew up in a bilingual household with roots in Mexico and Guatemala and began his primary and secondary education at Kelloggsville’s Early Education Center.

“It was my Kelloggsville community that allowed me to expand and do what I do, and by building that community and fostering teamwork, we can do the same for the next one.”

–- West Kelloggsville social worker and 2018 graduate Brian Garcia-Palacios

He made the most of his time in the district, participating in TEAM 21 during his elementary school years and later in band, football and basketball.

“The counselors I had took the time to talk to me, listen to me and let me try new things,” he recalled, noting that his counselors Laura Kuperus from the high school and the current director of high school Chad Morrow were. “The interaction was always positive and supportive.”

His parents also supported him and taught him the value of education.

“They showed us that there were two routes: work or education, which they believed provided more resources and opportunities,” Garcia-Palacios said. “They encouraged us to create a dream and let us know that other things existed, jobs where you could make a difference.”

With those words in mind, Garcia-Palacios said he strived to do well in school. He graduated from Kelloggsville High School in 2018.

As a first-generation student at Aquinas College, he made connections through Aquinas Student Services, which made him “feel welcome and encouraged, and that helped me thrive academically.”

His intention was to get a degree in exercise science because of all the activities he was involved in at Kelloggsville, but a psychology class — “I really loved it,” he said — changed all that.

He discovered a passion for being a school counselor while he was Aquinas’ basketball manager. As a pre-match motivator, he had “tough discussions” with players, he recalled, guiding them and being a listening ear.

The rocket comes home

Garcia-Palacios, who calls himself a “lifelong rocket,” said he always had the goal of returning to Kelloggsville.

“It brought a sense of community (to me),” he said of the neighborhood. “I grew up here, and this is where I belong and can make a difference.”

He returned to Kelloggsville in 2022 as a support staff member and the following year was hired as an academic intervention specialist, where he quickly connected with students.

“I really enjoy working with the lower grades. You see a lot of growth and progress in these students, whether it’s learning colors or numbers, or gaining confidence in communication.”

Garcia-Palacios was hired as a school counselor at West Kelloggsville this fall and will graduate from Western Michigan University in December with a master’s degree in educational counseling.

Now, as a counselor, Garcia-Palacios says he is passionate about serving as a bridge for Latino and Hispanic families, ensuring they get the resources and support they need.

“I want to show students that their dreams can reach further than what they see,” he said. “There’s a whole world of possibilities waiting for them.”

Garcia-Palacios is also committed to creating a sense of community within the school, drawing from his own experiences as a student. This fall, he organized the first community walk in West Kelloggsville, involving food, books and community resources.

Because of his experiences from a Spanish-speaking home and as a first-generation college student, Garcia-Palacios said he hopes to serve as a resource for families and an example to the district’s students of the different options available to them.

“If we only rely on what we see and what we grew up with, we cannot expand,” he said. “That’s why I build a sense of community. It was my Kelloggsville community that allowed me to expand and do what I do, and by building that community and fostering teamwork, we can do the same for the next one.”

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