Krysta Walia

Krysta is a licensed clinical social worker and tenured faculty counselor at Seattle Central College with nearly a decade of experience supporting students through holistic counseling and teaching Human Development courses. She holds two graduate degrees from the University of Washington - a Master of Social Work specializing in Community-Centered Integrative Practice and a Master of Arts in International Studies with a focus on South Asia. Her expertise includes healing-centered resiliency, solution-focused counseling, humility, and equity-riven practices.

Krysta believes education is more than a tool - it can be a lifeline. It allowed her to rewrite the negative story she once believed about herself and become living proof that education is a powerful force for change. Her teaching and counseling philosophy are rooted in creating spaces where students feel like they belong, are seen, valued, and inspired to grow. As a former TRIO student and proud advocate for community colleges, Krysta sees her role as more than a faculty counselor and instructor - she's a collaborator, working to celebrate students' strengths, amplify their voices, and uncover existing assets.

She is deeply connected to various communities: mixed/bi-racial/bi-cultural, LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent (ADHD), and working-class/low-income. Krysta is passionate about creating affirming spaces for all students. In her classroom and counseling sessions, you'll find room for creativity, humor, fun, and making mistakes while developing skills that last beyond college. 

Off campus, she's a proud cat mama to Momo and Theo (ask her to show you pics - they're ridiculously cute), loves affogato, and still knows every lyric to the song Dear Mama by Tupac Shakur.