SSA is saying goodbye to three important figures who have changed the Academy for the better: John Glorioso, Toni Pettavino and Yvette Cardinale. As they step into retirement, they are not only leaving behind a legacy of love and learning, but also entering a new chapter in their lives.

Toni Pettavino has served as an SSA counselor for 25 years. Before this, she worked in the office for a moving company while in college. She decided to become a counselor because she wanted to use her experience to guide people and help them gain professional skills. Pettavino is a trained psychiatric social worker.

As she enters into retirement, Pettavino is not quite certain what her future holds. “I am on a new journey, a new adventure,” she says. At 71 years old, she intends to reinvent herself, and she doesn’t yet know what that will look like.

Although her shoes will be difficult to fill, Pettavino offers the following wisdom to the new counselor who will take her place: “Take the time to get to know the girls, and listen with an open mind and heart.”

As for her students, Pettavino wants to leave them with a quote she read: “Your mind finds evidence to match the reality you believe in.” She says it’s called confirmation bias, meaning that you are what you think. “We all make mistakes, but we are for the most part good,” she states. Throughout her years at SSA, Pettavino has changed so many lives in this way: by encouraging others to love themselves and see how good they are inside and out.