Megan Hough - she/her

Ms. Hough

Guidance Counselor

mhough@sierraacademy.net

Megan is excited to join SAEL as the school counselor! Originally from the seacoast of New Hampshire, Megan grew up climbing trees, exploring the outdoors, and generally finding any excuse to be outside. She earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology and Justice Studies before going on to receive her master’s degree in School Counseling. After working as a school counselor in New Hampshire, Megan decided to switch things up. In the spring of 2025, she moved to Southern California and took a career detour into outdoor education, combining two of her favorite things: adventure and connecting with students. The experience gave her a firsthand look at the power of expeditionary learning and the incredible growth that can happen when learning feels real, challenging, and a little adventurous.

As much as she loved outdoor education, Megan eventually realized she was ready to return to school counseling, somewhere she could build relationships with students over the years rather than saying goodbye after a week. She couldn’t have dreamed up a better fit than SAEL, where experiential learning and student connection are at the heart of the school.

Megan then traded Southern California traffic for the trees and slower pace of Nevada City, and she has been loving her first month in the area. Outside of school, her hobbies are abundant and ever-changing, but creativity, curiosity, and a healthy dose of adventure tend to be at the center of most of them. She loves to cook, read, ski, explore, spend time outside, and dream up whatever comes next.

She is thrilled to be here and is looking forward to getting to know the SAEL community, one student, conversation, and adventure at a time.