A shared calling: Married couple earns counseling degrees together at UHCL
As graduates filled NRG Arena on Saturday, May 9, for the University of Houston-Clear Lake’s Spring 2026 Commencement, Nicolas (Nico) Martinez and Ana Perales celebrated more than the completion of a degree program. Alongside more than 900 graduates crossing the stage that day, the married couple each earned a Master of Science in School Counseling, marking the end of a two-year journey defined by perseverance, partnership, and a shared passion for helping students succeed.
For Martinez and Perales, the moment represented far more than academic achievement. It was the culmination of long nights balancing full-time teaching careers, graduate coursework, and married life, all fueled by a shared mission to make a bigger difference in students’ lives.
From teachers to counselors
Before pursuing their degrees, Martinez and Perales spent years in education as teachers. While they loved working in the classroom, they said they often wanted to support students beyond academics.
“We always wished we could give more personalized attention to some students at a socio-emotional level,” they shared.
Perales, who already held a bachelor’s degree in psychology, dreamed of combining her background in mental health with her classroom experience. Martinez, who worked as a college and career teacher, discovered that school counseling naturally aligned with his passion for guiding students toward their futures.
Choosing to pursue the same degree together became more than a career decision. It became a partnership in growth.
“Embarking on this journey together provided us with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build on each other’s strengths and lift us up to the next stage in our careers and in our lives,” they said.
Their story began years earlier in 2017 at a mutual friend’s bachelorette party, where a conversation turned into a lifelong connection. Perales was temporarily living in the United States as an Au Pair, a cultural exchange program in which participants provide childcare for a host family while experiencing life abroad, while Martinez had already built his life in Houston after moving from Mexico during middle school. Since then, the two have remained inseparable.
Finding community and confidence at UHCL
Living in Cypress, the couple sought a program that offered flexibility without sacrificing quality. UHCL’s hybrid-online school counseling program provided exactly that. But what impacted them most was the sense of connection they found inside the classroom.
“We enjoyed the in-person classes the most,” they said. “The hands-on activities prepared by our professors, together with role-playing exercises, provided us with real-world counseling experiences.”
The couple credits UHCL faculty and classmates for helping them develop the confidence needed to enter the counseling profession.
“Our professors prepared us very well to the point where we feel we won’t have to fake it till we make it,” Martinez and Perales explained. “The curriculum taught us to appreciate the unique perspectives of people with diverse backgrounds, ethnicity, culture, and personalities.”
Through practicum experiences during their final year, both served as intern counselors at their schools, gaining firsthand insight into the emotional and personal challenges students face every day. Martinez and Perales said that the experience strengthened their counseling abilities.
The support of their cohort also became a defining part of the journey.
“We got along very well with our cohort teammates,” they said. “They made the experience more enjoyable.”
Balancing marriage, work, and a dream
Pursuing graduate school while working full-time was not easy.
“Being full-time teachers while we pursued our master’s was not for the faint of heart,” Martinez and Perales admitted.
Balancing coursework, careers, and personal responsibilities required discipline, patience, and mutual support. Fortunately, they said their professors understood those pressures because many had once been teachers and counselors themselves.
Outside of school and work, Martinez and Perales leaned on one another and made time for activities they loved, including running and climbing mountains together.
Their advice for future students reflects the lessons they learned along the way:
“Do one thing at a time, never give up, and the two years will go by before you know it. Find the right balance between your personal life and responsibilities by allowing yourself to relax,” they advised.
The next chapter
Now, the couple plans to return to UHCL to pursue Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) certification, with the hope of eventually opening a private practice or working in the healthcare industry.
Still, among all the accomplishments and future ambitions, one thing stands above the rest for them: completing the journey side by side.
“Accomplishing this milestone together was both an opportunity and a privilege,” they said. “The journey brought us closer together. We got to learn more about each other and to appreciate our relationship in a meaningful way. We highly recommend earning a degree alongside your partners.”
As hundreds of graduates celebrated new beginnings at NRG Arena that Saturday, Nico Martinez and Ana Perales embodied something especially powerful: the reminder that success becomes even more meaningful when it is shared.
For more information about UHCL’s Master of Science in School Counseling, visit www.uhcl.edu/academics/degrees/school-counseling-ms.
