Counselor's Corner

“Nothing is impossible to a willing heart.” – John Heywood

The first quarter ends next week on the 10th. Be sure to check grades in Powerschool on the 17th when grades are finalized. SAT and ACT are this month. College applications have been ongoing now and students are feeling the pressure. FAFSA has opened and needs to be submitted by every graduating student...I suggest all graduates get this started ASAP, so there's no delay in finding out financial aid from your prospective colleges.

Our prospective students and families nights are this month (our first one was a great success) as well as middle school outreach. It's a busy month but nothing is impossible! Our first rally is at the end of the month, how exciting! Homecoming tickets go on sale soon, get ready to get your groove on, on the 28th of this month.

If you ever feel you are struggling remember: "there's only one way to eat an elephant...one bite at a time." You have many in your life, here at THS, to help support you in any way that you need.

The Spring 2026 application is now open for the Santa Rosa Junior College. If you plan on taking a JC class in the Spring, please fill out the application and dual enrollment form as soon as possible so you will be ready on December 2nd at 7am to register. The classes for Spring aren't out yet, however, so stay tuned for those in early November.

I have finished my Senior Group Meets during advisory and will start check ins with Freshmen next. I have also created a Google Classroom with resources and announcements...ask your students if they have joined yet.

My newsletters are to inform parents mostly, but there will also be information for students. Some information carries over each week, but always look for the new stuff.

I am very easy to get ahold of and respond pretty quickly. If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions, clarification, or concerns.

See below for friendly reminders: Important Dates, Mental Health Tips/Resources, SRJC information, Scholarship opportunities, and volunteer opportunities.

Graduating Students and Families...attend a local or online Cash 4 Colleges Night to learn and get assistance with filling out FAFSA. Find out more here:
https://www.csac.ca.gov/cash-college

A parent read these and found them to be very helpful with their high schooler.

Check out this new opportunity:

REA Internship Program
REA is a Petaluma-based nonprofit that connects youth to the land through hands-on learning in agriculture, soil stewardship, and community partnerships. This spring, we are offering high school students the opportunity to earn elective credit through Santa Rosa Junior College by completing a 40-hour internship with REA. We offer:

• Flexible scheduling during the spring semester

• Placement at local farms in and around Petaluma and Penngrove

• Focus on soil health, food systems and security, regenerative/sustainable agriculture

• Earn early college credit while gaining valuable career skills

If students are interested in applying for the REA internship or volunteer hours for fewer hours (10+ hours) or are not requesting elective credits, they can simply fill out our application, and we can place them as soon as November 1 to start earning hours. More info is on our website, including the application for volunteering or interning with us.

We are also offering volunteer community service hours through weekend in-service dates in November and December for students 14+ years old. Students are welcome to fill out our application for those programs, and once we gather interested students, we’ll announce the dates based on their preferences.

Please fill out those Education Benefit Forms in PowerSchool please!!

The representative that came to our college/career fair wanted me to pass along these resources to all the students:

• Our Find My Advisor tool allows students to see all of my recruitment events and also provides a way for them to contact me directly. I generally avoid giving out my direct email address to students; this FMA inbox allows me to filter inquiries separately.
• This is our digital viewbook for the year.
• Contact Undergraduate Admissions
• First-Year Admission

Students can view our upcoming webinars below; they’ll need to register for the event in order to receive the Zoom link to attend.

• Events for Future Aggies

Thank you, Surita, for this information on an internship opportunity:

https://ctesonomacounty.org/investments/pathtopurpose-students-parents/

Deadline to apply is October 20th. You can submit the application and add your resume and letter of rec later. This is for ALL types of career choices: medical, computer science, construction, engineering, etc.

There are some great resources at the bottom of the link as well for resume and cover letter building.

I have found these websites that give you access to free college webinars:

https://collegewise.com/seminars

https://www.collegeadvisor.com/webinars/

Talk about dual enrollment is increasing, if your student is interested in taking SRJC classes, please have them follow along the following tutorials to create their SRJC account.

Please make sure your student has registered their school email through californiacolleges.edu and then parents can be added to the account as well. For more resources for parents please go here: https://learnmore.cacollegeguidance.org/tools-for-parents/

Here is a nice guide on UC's: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/counselors/_files/documents/quick-reference-guide-to-uc-admissions.pdf?mc_cid=81566dfc91

Some colleges (not UCs or CSUs) want letters of recommendation.... please fill out this brag sheet to help the staff member you ask for a letter write a nice, personal letter for you.

https://forms.gle/TdEFmbYHPKCoZzLW7

This comes from a THS Alumni and I would like to continue to share it as a college preparedness tool. There are 23 CSU's (California State Universities), 9 UC's (University of California), many private schools, a wonderful junior college, as well as tons more nationwide. Here is just a sample of what another student shared with me...copy it and make it your own with the schools of your choice.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1uxohvN_j9l_y50KZBPJJb9uduAW-gLG6Aq-3zBa7fXs/edit?usp=sharing

Would you like to study abroad and live with a host family...check out this program with the Local Rotary Club.

Check out these steps for the NCAA: Student-Athletes

Let me know the colleges you are interested in playing for and I will do my best to help you figure out how to get their attention! Here is a list of the colleges to search for Division 1, 2, and 3: https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2021/5/3/membership-directory.aspx

What is it:

The World Affairs Councils of America’s flagship youth education program is a fun, fast-paced team competition for high school students. Academic WorldQuest™ tests players’ knowledge of current international politics, geography, global economics, history, and world cultures. Some 50 World Affairs Councils hold local Academic WorldQuest™ (AWQ) competitions for high school students in their communities. Since 2003, winning teams have traveled to Washington, DC, every April to vie for the national championship.

How do you participate:

Email Mrs. Juarez a team name and 4 team members and you'll be part of it

More info here:

https://worldaffairscouncils.org/what-we-do/academic-worldquest/

Community Service Hours

40 hours required by the time you graduate.

33 more graduates need to turn in their hours.

Turn those in so we aren't running around trying to get them done when it's your senior year and trying to graduate. The sooner you get them done and turned in, the better.

College Courses

Take full screenshots of your unofficial transcripts for any class you are taking outside of Technology High School and want credit for. Upload them here: https://forms.gle/zfL8jXiJ5Z94B42K9

Limit 4 college courses are able to go on Tech High Transcript.

and are MALE....

Please register within 30 days of turning 18 with the Selective Service System

Please let me know if I can improve it or add to it in any way 😁

Did you know?

Come talk to me about anything, I will talk you through things, listen, come up with strategies to deal with anxiety, etc, and/or send you to some more in depth support that we have on campus this year!

Practice mindfulness by staying "in the present."

Resource: https://www.mhanational.org/31-tips-boost-your-mental-health

24 Hour Emergency Mental Health Hotlines

❖ North Bay Suicide Prevention Hotline 855-587-6373

❖ California Youth Crisis Line (call or text) 800-843-5200

❖ Psychiatric Emergency Services 800-746-8181

❖ Sonoma County Suspected Child Abuse Hotline 800-870-7064

❖ Verity Sexual Assault Hotline 707-545-7273

❖ YWCA Domestic Violence Services 707-546-1234

Other Mental Health & Support Contacts

❖ National Alliance on Mental Illness SOCO 707-527-6655

❖ United Way local assistance: 211sonoma.org 211

❖ Crisis Textline ( crisistextline.org ) Text HOME to 741741

❖ Substance Abuse/Mental Health (SAMHSA) Referral 800-662-HELP (4357) ❖ Grief Share hosts free, in-person grief recovery support groups across the country.

Want to go to the JC while attending high school to get more credits?

https://admissions.santarosa.edu/high-school-dual-enrollment-request-form

Vaccine Mandate - Students taking on-campus classes will receive email and text notifications from “SRJC Verify” with information and a link to access their unique Cleared4 profile. For this reason, this is a really good time to log in to your Student Portal and be sure you have entered current/accurate contact information.

October 1 – Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) & California Dream Act Application (CADAA) available for the current and next academic year

October:

9th - SAT 8:30 am (check in with Mrs. Juarez in the Student Center)

13th - No School (Indigenous People Day)

15th - Community Cafe 8:15 - 9:15 am in the Staff Lounge and NYU from 10 - 11am and College Application Workshop 3 - 4 pm in the Student Center and Prospective Parent Night 6 - 7 pm

20th - Spirit Week Begins

21st - UC Santa Cruz College Visit - Student Center 11:30 - 12:45 pm

22nd - Northern Arizona University Visit - Student Center 10 - 11 am

23rd - ACT 8:30 in C3

24th - Homecoming Rally at Lunch

25th - Homecoming 7 - 10 pm

27th - University of Oregon Visit - Student Center 10:30 - 11:15 am

31st - Binghamton University Visit - Student Center 12 - 1 pm

November

2nd - Daylight Savings

4th - Election Day

11th - Veteran's Day (No School)

13th - ASVAB in C3 for students who have registered at 8:30 am

19th - College Application Workshop 3- 4:30 pm

20th - Out of District Titan Tours 1 - 3 pm

24th - 28th - Fall Break

1. Merit Based Scholarship: https://levinescholars.charlotte.edu/

2. Chick-Fil-A Community Scholarships
   https://learnmore.scholarsapply.org/cfacommunityscholars/
   

3. Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE)
   

   From their website:
   

   "The Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) is an agreement among WICHE’s 16 member states and territories, through which 160+ participating public colleges and universities provide steep nonresident tuition savings for Western students." Find out more answers to your questions: https://www.wiche.edu/tuition-savings/wue/wue-faq/

4. Collegeboard Scholarship Search https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/scholarship-search

5. https://www.unigo.com/scholarships/high-school-students
   
6. https://www.fastweb.com/college-scholarships/articles/humongous-high-school-scholarships
   
7. https://scholarships360.org/scholarships/top-scholarships-for-high-school-seniors/
8. https://bold.org/scholarships/scholarships-for-high-school-seniors-list/
   
9. https://www.scholarships.com/financial-aid/college-scholarships/scholarship-directory/school-year/high-school-senior
   
10. https://www.scholarships.com/financial-aid/college-scholarships/scholarships-by-state/california-scholarships/
    
11. https://www.bestcolleges.com/financial-aid/online-colleges/
    

1. REA Internship Program
   REA is a Petaluma-based nonprofit that connects youth to the land through hands-on learning in agriculture, soil stewardship, and community partnerships. This spring, we are offering high school students the opportunity to earn elective credit through Santa Rosa Junior College by completing a 40-hour internship with REA. We offer:

   • Flexible scheduling during the spring semester

   • Placement at local farms in and around Petaluma and Penngrove

   • Focus on soil health, food systems and security, regenerative/sustainable agriculture

   • Earn early college credit while gaining valuable career skills

   If students are interested in applying for the REA internship or volunteer hours for fewer hours (10+ hours) or are not requesting elective credits, they can simply fill out our application, and we can place them as soon as November 1 to start earning hours. More info is on our website, including the application for volunteering or interning with us.

   We are also offering volunteer community service hours through weekend in-service dates in November and December for students 14+ years old. Students are welcome to fill out our application for those programs, and once we gather interested students, we’ll announce the dates based on their preferences.

2. Walk to end Alzheimer's 10/4 SSU: https://act.alz.org/site/TR?sid=23941&type=fr_informational&pg=informational&fr_id=18459

3. Sonoma County Regional Parks: https://parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov/play/calendar/volunteering
4. Redwood Empire Food Bank | https://refb.org/
5. https://www.volunteernow.org/teen-volunteers

If you have any concerns about your schedule please email me and/or use the Google Form provided in the button below. I will do my best to accommodate your needs. I am here to help you succeed in school, graduate, and attend college in order to have the career of your dreams.

Email: kristina_juarez@crpusd.org
Website: https://ths.crpusd.org/
Location: Technology High School, Bonnie Avenue, Rohnert Park, CA, USA
Phone: 707-792-4825