Where Are They Now? Leah Messinger

Leah (Saraceni) Messinger's personal and professional journey practically defines the phrase full-circle. Now a counselor at Niwot High School, she graduated from the school herself in 2010 and has long been connected to the Niwot community.

Messinger was raised in Boulder County and attended Niwot Elementary School and Sunset Middle School before attending Niwot High School.

She reflected, "When I came to high school, it took me a little bit to find my footing socially, but the place that I really felt valued was in Student Council." She earned leadership roles within the class, serving as grade-level president in her freshman, sophomore and junior years, then becoming Student Body President as a senior.

Messinger's involvement in the Niwot community began long before she reached high school. Her older brother, Nick Saraceni, was involved in multiple school sports, so she enjoyed cheering on the Cougars and often attended events at NHS.

"I joke that I bleed green," she commented, "just because I was super spirited and involved in the community my whole life."

After graduating from Niwot High School, Messinger studied at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she earned her undergraduate degree with majors in psychology and sociology.

Despite starting out with an undecided major and hoping the business sector would be "lucrative," she quickly came to terms with the fact that psychology was her area of interest. "I just really enjoyed psych," she said, "which I already knew. I just tried to ignore that piece of me."

She recalls one conversation near the end of her time at CU with teacher and mentor Doug Duffy, a beloved NHS educator who passed away in 2019, that encouraged her to pursue education. "It was my StuCo advisor, Doug Duffy, that reminded me about how counseling was just fit for me," she recalled.

After graduating, Messinger entered a school counseling masters program at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, where she appreciated the small classes and real-world experience offered by the program.

Her high-school sweetheart, Connor Messinger, was completing his own schooling and playing college baseball at UNK at the time. The couple is married today, and their story began at NHS.

Connor and Leah started dating at the end of Leah's sophomore year. "I really wanted to be a baseball manager," Leah recalled, "and a spot opened up, so I baked snacks, and did the radar gun, and kept the books. 
So I know the game really, really, well." She and Connor connected over the sport but waited until the end of the season to begin dating.

Their relationship continued throughout high school and college, and the couple married in 2018.

They made the decision to move to the Longmont area after Leah completed her master's degree. She had long hoped to return to Niwot, the hometown she loved, and she remains confident that the St. Vrain Valley School District (SVVSD) is an extraordinary place to raise children.

Messinger spent one year as a halftime counselor at Timberline PK-8 (Middle) School, and then was hired by NHS in 2018. She said, "This is my home, and I feel like this building is my home. And I really did want to impact the community that invested in me, and made me feel valuable and worthy, even through challenges."

She further explained, "St. Vrain was my goal for sure, just because it's the best of the best. It offers opportunities that nowhere else does."

Day-to-day, Messinger plays multiple roles at NHS. As a counselor, she works closely with students to address academic and personal issues. She has also been the school's Student Council advisor for four years, where she leads and collaborates with students to support the Niwot community.

She and Connor Messinger, a professional firefighter, now have a three-year-old daughter and live in the Longmont area. Both of them have parents nearby, which she says has been crucial in caring for her daughter.

She said, "It's really fun because we're kind of all full circle-still enjoying Niwot High."