When Bear Creek counselor Carol Adams retired last semester, she left big shoes to fill. Counselor Angeleena Thornberg feels up to the challenge - in fact, she has been dealing with challenges from day one. Thornberg and her family arrived in the United States when she was only 10 years old. She was born in Cambodia, and the differences in climate between the United States and Cambodia kept Thornberg sick for the first two years of her new American life. "I've battled tough challenges in my life," Thornberg said. "I like helping students and proving to them as a living example that they can get past obstacles." At 12, Thornberg began school and learned English. Figuring that she was far behind the other students, Thornberg studied all the time, realizing that hard work and commitment was the only way to fulfill her dream - to become the first in her family to go to college. If someone possesses perseverance, the right attitude and effort," Thornberg said, "they can face the challenges, and get through high school. These characteristics are not only very helpful in high school, but also very helpful in life." High school proved to be a busy time for Thornberg; she busied herself with numerous clubs, advanced classes, and even participated in cheer her freshman year at Edison High. After attending Edison, Thornberg transferred to Tokay in her sophomore year. After three busy and academic-filled years at Tokay, Thornberg worked her way into getting accepted at Pepperdine University. She was one of only 3,000 accepted from nearly 7,000 applicants. "I really believe that education is very important," Thornberg said. "I was really lucky that my family also believed that education is very important. Now I can assist students who need help pursuing their education." Thornberg began college with an interest in majoring in journalism and broadcasting, but graduated from Pepperdine University with a thirst for psychology. She then returned to Stockton to study and eventually earned her master's degree in counseling psychology at University of the Pacific in 1997. "I've always wanted to counsel at the high school level," Thornberg said. "I worked at Stagg for a while, and I really liked it. Bear Creek really appealed to me because of its diversity, both in staff and in the student population." Thornberg is married and is living with her husband and 25 month old son in Manteca.