This article was in the top three winners of Lookout’s 2026 Journalism Scholarship challenge, which invited high school students to highlight an unsung hero in their lives. For placing in the top three, students were awarded a $500 scholarship. Learn more and find all of the winners here.
Daisy Nuñez is a woman of many roles, though titles alone cannot capture the scope of her impact on the Watsonville community. She serves as a high school counselor at Watsonville High School, where she supports students in achieving their academic goals and pursuing their dreams. In addition, she works as a counselor at Hartnell College, guiding students in developing their four-year academic plans, whether they are working toward an associate degree or preparing to transfer to a university.
Beyond education, Daisy is deeply committed to service. She is a lector at St. Patrick’s Church, where her faith ministry centers on serving others. She is also a former board member of Hospice of Santa Cruz County, an organization dedicated to helping individuals live and die with dignity; a role she took on out of her passion for expanding services for the Latine community.
Currently, she serves for her second year as a board member of the Watsonville Film Festival, which celebrates Latine filmmakers who inspire positive change. Since 2018, she has contributed to Día de los Muertos events through the festival, helping preserve and uplift cultural traditions within the community.
She calls herself a ‘hope-o-logist.’ To her family, she is a wife, daughter, and sister. To her students, she is often much more than a counselor; she’s their advocate, a source of reassurance, and their second mother at school.
What makes Daisy remarkable is not the number of responsibilities she carries, but the intention behind them. In every role, she consistently demonstrates dedication, guidance, comfort, and so much more. Whether she is guiding students through college applications, serving as a lector at Saint Patrick’s Church, supporting families through grief, or uplifting local voices through film, her work remains rooted in service rather than recognition. Despite the positive impact she has on her community, Daisy expects nothing in return. She does not seek praise or attention; she simply continues to give back.
When I asked students and staff to describe Daisy in one word, most of their responses echoed the same sentiment. “She’s a healer,” says Magdalena Maciel, our attendance specialist. Jessica Zovar, our mental health clinician, describes her as bold, while our amazing school librarian calls her a trailblazer. Dayron Corona and Camilo Sanchez describe Daisy as cheery and supportive. Though their roles and experiences differ, the message is the same: Daisy’s presence leaves a lasting impact on everyone she helps and works with.
I experienced Daisy’s compassion firsthand during my sophomore year of high school, after my grandfather passed away. His death left me overwhelmed with grief, anxiety, and afraid to return to school. My family struggled to find therapy or the resources I needed, and my mother reached out to anyone who might be able to help. One of her coworkers, who had previously worked with Daisy, recommended that she call her.
That same day, Daisy came to see me personally. She arrived not as a stranger or administrator, but as someone who genuinely cared. She brought me a ‘hope basket’ filled with meaningful items, small reminders that even in loss, hope still existed. As a counselor at my high school, Daisy made sure I felt supported and understood. She helped me find the strength to return to school, not only by guiding me academically, but by acknowledging my grief and giving me space to heal.
What Daisy did for me is what she continues to do for countless students. She meets people in their darkest moments and helps them find light without asking for anything in return. Through my darkness, I found hope because of her. Today, I carry that lesson forward by helping my peers through their own experiences with grief, just as Daisy once helped me.
In an interview with Crystal Martinez, she shared that she first met Daisy through her sister, who was Daisy’s student at the time. Daisy frequently reached out to Crystal and her sisters to ask about their involvement at school and in the community. Crystal said, “I felt her support and warmth; she was the reason I began helping in my school and community. She always puts students first, regardless of their circumstances.”
Crystal also shared that Daisy stayed on a Zoom call late into the night to help a student complete a scholarship application that was due the next day. She often works beyond office hours, demonstrating her dedication and passion for supporting students.
Recognizing Daisy Nuñez matters precisely because of this. She represents the countless community leaders whose work shapes lives in lasting ways without public acknowledgment. By telling her story, we honor not only her dedication but the quiet power of compassion, service, love, and hope.
Valeria Marquez is a student at Watsonville High School