Kathy

Hello, my name is Kathy Granite, and I am a school “guidance” counselor.  When I graduated from high school, I had no idea what I was going to do with my life.  I enrolled in community college, primarily to be with my friends who attended there; however, I had no direction or goals, and I dropped out after my first year, which wasted both time and money.  

It wasn’t until later in life that I fulfilled a calling, which was to provide counseling to students to help them avoid the same mistakes I had made.  My goal was to guide them by assessing their interests, establishing clear goals, and helping them acquire the knowledge, attitude, and skills necessary to succeed in school and beyond.  To fulfill this calling, I returned to college as an adult.

My experience in education began at The Winston School in Del Mar, CA., where I specialized in working with 7th-12th grade students with diverse learning challenges. I earned a Master’s in School Counseling with a Pupil Personnel Services credential from San Diego State University in 2014.  I landed my dream career as a full-time high school counselor in South Orange County.  While there, I was responsible for advising 9th- to 12th-grade students in the following areas: academic planning, college and career readiness, and social-emotional support. I was especially proud of serving as the junior class lead coordinator, creating and implementing Community College Day for seniors, acting as the liaison for the EL department, and being the counselor to a National Merit Scholarship winner (several were also semi-finalists), as well as team lead of the WASC committee.  I loved my school, the kids, and families, and thought I’d be there forever until I retired.  

In August 2021, and during the height of the COVID-19 plandemic, I was let go from my position for not wearing a mask and was denied both my religious and medical exemption rights.  This was devastating, scary, and put an unbelievable financial burden on my family.  In 2022, my husband, Dan, and I opened Freedom of Choice School Counseling and Homeschool, where I provided school guidance counseling to students in grades PK-12.  Dan and I retired the homeschool in June 2025.  I am continuing my calling to help students thrive with my private school counseling business. 

I’m happily married to Dan, a retired high school administrator. Together, we have five adult children, one adorable grandson, and Sam, our dog.  Both of us are adventurous and enjoy camping in our travel trailer throughout the United States. Some of my favorite things include spending time with family, friends, and Sam, being outdoors, and enjoying activities like driving my Jeep, spending time at the beach, hiking, and paddleboarding. We remain actively involved in protecting our community, upholding parental rights, and ensuring the safety of children.