Alumni Spotlight: Hira Kissana
Hira Kissana, a 2023 graduate of the 91精品鈥檚 Counseling Psychology Program, was born and raised in Vallejo, California. Her parents immigrated to the United States from Pakistan before their children were born and Hira grew up with very strong family bonds. 鈥淚 had the greatest parents growing up,鈥� she shared proudly. 鈥淢y mother and father are my absolute heroes, and my siblings are my best friends.鈥� Hira is the eldest daughter of the family, with one older brother and three younger sisters.
Starting at a young age, Hira experienced severe bullying in school. This continued until middle school, when she and her family moved to Pakistan for a year and a half. 鈥淚 learned to read and write Urdu in school, and also began reading Arabic as I started reading the holy Quran,鈥� she recalled. 鈥淢y schooling experience in Pakistan was a breath of fresh air in a collectivist world, far away from the harshness and coldness I had experienced in America.鈥� Fortunately, when her family returned to California, Hira started high school in a new school district, where the bullying subsided.
Hira began her college career at a local junior college, majoring in Psychology. After two years, she earned her associate鈥檚 degree and transferred to . 鈥淚 knew I wanted to later pursue post graduate degrees, so I opted for a cost-effective bachelor's degree,鈥� she explained. During her undergraduate studies, Hira became more acutely aware of the effects of white supremacy and colonialism. 鈥淚 truly began to have a higher level of understanding of the impact, mentally, physically, psychologically, and generationally, on racial minorities,鈥� she shared. 鈥淚 decided to pursue a career in mental health to serve my people.鈥� She graduated from San Francisco State University with a BA in Psychology in 2019.
In 2020, Hira鈥檚 path took an unexpected detour. 鈥淲hen the pandemic began, I was waitlisted for the doctoral program at the 91精品, which ultimately ended in me needing to wait another year,鈥� Hira recalled. 鈥淚n that year, I decided to dive into a passion of mine, teaching.鈥� Looking back, she remembers serving as a tutor to her classmates, family members, and friends throughout her life, so it鈥檚 no surprise that teaching came naturally for her. Hira enrolled in online program in pursuit of a master鈥檚 degree in education.
As part of her studies at National University, Hira was able to work as a teacher in Oakland, California for two years. 鈥淚 taught at a school where 100% of the students lived below the poverty line and 100% of the students were also English language learners,鈥� she explained. 鈥淚n many ways, my classroom reminded me of the community and classrooms I was in at that same age.鈥� Her passion for her students and their growth is clear as Hira reflects on her time as a teacher. 鈥淚 implemented a ton of social emotional learning into my classroom,鈥� she shared. 鈥淲e started every day with an invitation to share anything pressing on our hearts.鈥� In hearing her students鈥� challenges and concerns, Hira could clearly see the impact of colonialism and racism on the inequities faced by her students. She described teaching as one of her life鈥檚 greatest joys and she hopes to return to teaching in the future.
In the fall of 2021, Hira began her studies in the 91精品鈥檚 Counseling Psychology Program. Although she was initially interested in the doctoral program, she decided that the master鈥檚 program was a better fit. During her first year at the 91精品, Hira was still teaching full-time and completing her Master鈥檚 in Education. In her second year, she took classes, completed her practicum, and started her first corporate job as a recruiter. Unsurprisingly, this left Hira overwhelmed. 鈥淭he immense workload and how badly I was burned out taught me an extremely valuable lesson: the importance of self-care,鈥� she explained. 鈥淎s cliche as it sounds, I learned that I have a moral obligation to those I have committed to serve to take care of myself.鈥�
In spite of her heavy workload, Hira made time to form close bonds with members of the 91精品 community. 鈥淢y happiest memory was when the institution brought on Dr. Richardson as Dean of Students,鈥� she reflected. 鈥淒r. Richardson is really warm and authentic. You could go to her office and just talk about anything.鈥� She also greatly enjoyed being a part of student affinity groups. 鈥淲e went to Lake Merrit to hang out and have picnics,鈥� she recalled. 鈥淲e laughed and had joy.鈥� These shared experiences were excellent opportunities for Hira to connect with her peers. Another feature of the Counseling Program that Hira enjoyed was the 1:1 advising meetings with faculty members. She appreciated the ability to meet with faculty who were not her professors, hear their stories, and benefit from their experiences.
During her time at the 91精品, Hira was positively impacted by three professors in particular: Professor Lopez-Urbina, Professor Robinson, and Dr. Clarke. 鈥淚 saw so much of myself in Professor Lopez-Urbina,鈥� she reflected. 鈥淪he taught me to always stop and acknowledge my privileges or lack of in any space I am in, and that has given me power to become a better person and mental health professional.鈥� Professor Robinson encouraged Hira to be her authentic self and served as a model of how to do exactly that. 鈥淪he carries this energy that is so magnetic,鈥� she explained. 鈥淗er way of being made me begin to ask myself how I want to energetically show up in my work and that is a gift.鈥� Hira greatly enjoyed her Crisis, Disaster, and Trauma Counseling course with Dr. Clarke as well. 鈥淪he integrated a light heartedness and humor into her trauma work that was so comforting,鈥� she recalled. 鈥淎dditionally, her teachings on vicarious trauma are at the forefront of my self-care today, tomorrow, and forever.鈥� Hira credits Dr. Clarke with reigniting her love for therapy.
For her practicum, Hira returned to as a Counseling Intern. She was very grateful for the opportunity to return to the same district she had taught in for two years and eager to serve the students in a different capacity. 鈥淎lthough social emotional learning was always at the forefront of my classroom, as a counseling intern, I was able to dive deep and apply theories, create case conceptualizations, and go along individual journeys with my kids to navigate their own unique challenges,鈥� she explained. 鈥淚 grew so much and my kids taught me so much about resilience and our ability to heal.鈥� Through this experience, Hira was able to partner with all of the adults in a child鈥檚 life to provide them the support they needed.
The biggest challenges Hira faced during her time at the 91精品 revolved around being a woman of color in a predominately white institution. 鈥淒espite the challenges, I actively engaged in discussions around race, social justice, and cultural competence, pushing my peers and instructors to acknowledge and address these important issues,鈥� she reflected. Hira's journey at the 91精品 was marked by confronting systemic biases and advocating for inclusion, amplifying her voice and paving the way for others from marginalized backgrounds to do the same. 鈥淲hile the program may not have fully prepared me for the challenges I would face, it instilled in me a strong commitment to social justice and equity, which continues to guide my work today,鈥� she explained. 鈥淚 am determined to create positive change within organizations and communities, drawing on my own experiences and perspectives to drive meaningful impact.鈥�
Hira has learned many valuable lessons during graduate school, but the most important has been to question everything. She advises current and future students to be themselves and not try to fit in. 鈥淔ollow the voice in your heart and allow it to lead your research, your presence, and your voice,鈥� she recommends. 鈥淒o not allow anyone to silence it.鈥� She also emphasized the importance of being open-minded and willing to learn new things, noting that 鈥渢here is something you can learn from everyone in your cohort鈥� if you鈥檙e receptive.
After graduating from the 91精品, Hira started and began offering services in transforming workplace culture and academic planning. 鈥淎s a woman of color and first-generation American, I have lived and witnessed first hand and through the experiences of those closest to me, that the American workplace is not a safe place for my people,鈥� she explained. 鈥淚 have created and offer comprehensive services to businesses, organizations, and corporations that seek to create better work environments.鈥� Hira is also passionate about providing academic guidance based on her own experiences. 鈥淎s a first-generation student, I understand what it feels like to have to learn everything on your own,鈥� she reflected.
This May, Hira began working at as an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, providing culturally sensitive telehealth therapy to a diverse group of clients using a solution-focused, trauma-informed approach. 鈥淚 apply a culturally humble and inclusive approach to therapy, ensuring that my clients' cultural, racial, and religious identities are respected and integrated into the healing process,鈥� she explained. 鈥淚 facilitate critical conversations around systemic oppression, helping my clients recognize and challenge structural inequities that affect their mental health and well-being.鈥� She then develops treatment plans to address the intersectional needs of her clients. Hira continues to seek out professional development focused on anti-racism, decolonization, and culturally responsive practices.
In her free time, Hira loves learning new things and enjoys traveling and experiencing other cultures. Despite her busy schedule, Hira always makes time to spend with her family, with whom she is very close. She was the first in her family to earn a college degree and now she has earned a total of four degrees. 鈥淚 just feel so blessed to have made my parents proud,鈥� she exclaimed. 鈥淭hey sacrificed their world to give to my siblings and I, and I feel honored to have made the smallest fraction of their sacrifices worth something through what I have achieved.鈥� Surely, with all she has accomplished, Hira鈥檚 family is extremely proud.
There鈥檚 no doubt that the future holds many opportunities for Hira. She plans to continue her work towards becoming a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist while also expanding the services she offers through in order to follow her passions and her growth trajectory. 鈥淚 am currently working on my first book,鈥� she shared. 鈥淭he book seeks to bring alive my lived experiences in my identities paired with my passion for the collective fight to deconstruct and decolonize.鈥� We wish Hira the best of luck in completing her book and in all of her future endeavors.