Connections Newsletter

Please join us on April 7 at 6:00 PM for Rising Senior Family Night, an informative evening designed to help juniors and their families prepare for the busy fall college application season. We’ll help start senior year strong by covering key topics, including building a balanced college list, understanding financial aid and FAFSA, requesting letters of recommendation, and navigating the application process.

This is a great opportunity to get ahead before senior year and feel more confident about the steps ahead. We hope to see you there!

Ms. White met with seniors in small groups over the last few weeks to review important end-of-year tasks as they prepare for graduation and their post-secondary plans. During these meetings, we discussed the importance of maintaining an updated resume and how it can be a valuable tool for future opportunities, including jobs, internships, and scholarships.

Students were also reminded to update their college selection in Naviance so that final transcripts can be sent to their chosen institution at the end of the school year.

Last week, Ms. White had the opportunity to meet with our junior classes to dive into the college search process. Students spent time with the advanced college search tools in Naviance and learned strategies for narrowing down schools based on their interests, goals, and preferences. We also discussed the importance of planning college visits in the coming months and over the summer, as firsthand experiences can play a key role in finding the right fit.

In addition, we reviewed how to log volunteer hours in x2VOL and discussed graduation expectations, including the requirement to complete 30 service hours and submit three reflection papers by the beginning of senior year.

On Tuesday, April 7, from 6:00-7:30, juniors and their families are invited to Rising Senior Family Night to get important information about preparing for their senior year of high school.

Sophomores will attend a “Choosing a College and More” session in the auditorium on Tuesday, March 31 during Flex. A panel of speakers will answer questions about what to consider when choosing where to gain additional education and/or training. Students must check in with their flex teachers and immediately report to the auditorium for the presentation.

Last week in second-semester world history class, for our final Connections, we set personal and academic goals in Naviance. For setting goals, we teach the acronym WOOP - Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, and Plan. For example, WISH: I want to do well on the next history test; OUTCOME: I would like a B or higher; OBSTACLE: I have practice every day and 2 games that week, so I have limited time; PLAN: I will start studying in advance, 20 minutes/per day.

We also started adding items to the resume in Naviance; a high school resume begins the summer BEFORE 9th grade. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of starting early and keeping the resume updated throughout high school and beyond. This is a life skill that will build a successful habit for future careers.

On March 11th, we hosted a “Planning for College” evening to support students and families as they navigate the admissions process. The event featured several guest speakers who shared valuable insights on key topics, including SAT/ACT preparation, athletic recruitment, and admissions to military academies.

We were grateful to welcome Charity Peak and Tracie Cormaney from Class 101 (https://www.class101.com/coloradosprings/), Brian McElroy from McElroy Tutoring (https://mcelroytutoring.com), and Kevin Linzey, a 2003 graduate from West Point, who each provided expert guidance in their respective areas.

If you were unable to attend and would like access to the resources shared during the event, please reach out to the Connections Office.

Did you know that starting this fall, Pikes Peak State College will be offering a BAS in Elementary Education? For more information, contact Devin Glidden at Devin.Glidden@PikesPeak.edu

Upcoming Events in Connections

-- April 2, 12:20: Baylor University

- April 2, 1:15: Career Talk – Veterinarian, Amanda Hensen

- April 7, 6:00-7:00: Rising Senior Family Night

- April 9, 9:35: Purdue University

- April 14, 9:35: Metro State University

- April 23, 12:20: Trades - Heather Malone-Peak, Lincoln Tech

- April 30, 11:25: US Air Force

Scholarships play an important role in paying for college. There are many scholarships available for merit, leadership, community service, academics, athletics, many fields of study, and for students who demonstrate financial need. HERE are some scholarship resources for juniors and seniors along with tips for winning college scholarships.

Scholarship reminder: Some colleges automatically give you merit scholarships based on your GPA/test scores. Some colleges have a scholarship application that sends your information to multiple scholarships. Some colleges provide links to outside scholarships. Even though you have been admitted (congrats!), there are still more steps to go. Apply for the money. You don’t know if you don’t apply! Read your emails. Scholarships play an important role in paying for college. There are many scholarships available for merit, leadership, community service, academics, athletics, many fields of study, and for students who demonstrate financial need.

Annual West Point Leadership & Ethics Conference of Colorado. The one-day conference for high school juniors (rising seniors) will be held from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm on Friday, 10 April at the auditorium and classroom facilities of Fellowship Denver - 1990 South Broadway, Denver, CO 80210. Register here.

The Sijan Chapter awards scholarships annually to outstanding high school seniors who have been accepted for enrollment at a college or university.

Colorado Girls State for high school juniors going into their senior year interested in government and leadership with high moral character and scholastic achievement will be held June 7-13, 2026 in Sterling, Colorado. Apply at Girls State – American Legion Auxiliary Department Of Colorado.

Colorado Boys State for high school juniors going into their senior year interested in learning about city, county, and state government will be held May 31-June 6 in Sterling, Colorado. Apply by May 1, 2026 at Home - Colorado Boys State.

The Junior Scholars Program at High Point University in High Point, North Carolina, celebrates exceptional high school juniors who demonstrate strong academic performance, leadership, meaningful extracurricular involvement, and a genuine interest in High Point University. To be eligible for the Junior Scholars Program, current high school juniors must have an unweighted GPA of 3.6-4.0 and show leadership and achievement in academics, community service, the arts, athletics, entrepreneurial endeavors, or international adventures. Junior Scholars have the unique opportunity for non-binding early acceptance to High Point University and will receive an initial $2,500 scholarship per year to HPU, totaling $10,000 over four years. If an admitted applicant is eligible for any HPU merit-based scholarships in excess of $2,500 per year, the higher scholarship will be awarded in its place. Please see Mrs. Dahl in Connections by April 1 if you meet the criteria and would like to be nominated for this opportunity.

The 33rd annual Rocky Mountain Youth Leadership Conference (RMYLC) will be held 15-19 June 2026 at Colorado State University Pueblo for juniors and seniors. The Rocky Mountain Youth Leadership Foundation (RMYLF) will award up to 108 full scholarships covering all student expenses except transportation to and from the conference. Information about the conference is available at www.rmylf.org. information. For more information, see this RMYLC Student Fact Sheet. If you are interested in attending this valuable leadership opportunity, stop by Connections for a nomination and application instructions. Mrs. Dahl at kdahl@asd20.org, will be the high school point of contact (HSPOC) for your nomination and application.

The Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative programs offer student scholarships and support services.

HOBY (Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership) is a nationally recognized leadership program that empowers high school rising juniors to develop their leadership skills, discover their strengths, and learn how to make a positive impact in their schools and communities. The seminar includes interactive workshops, group discussions, and hands-on activities led by trained volunteers and community leaders. This year’s seminar will be held at the University of Denver, June 18-21, and the cost for the week is $425 to attend, which covers all lodging, meals, and materials. For more information about HOBY Colorado, please visit the website: https://www.hobycolorado.org/. If you are a current sophomore and would like to be nominated, please see Mrs. Dahl in Connections.

The Horatio Alger Scholarship Program offers need-based scholarships to juniors and seniors up to $50,000. Juniors apply by March 1. Seniors apply by February 15. Career and Technical Scholarship applications are accepted March 15-June 15.

Student Insights is accepting applications for the Student-View Scholarship through April 23.

Positive Athlete is now accepting nominations of high-character high school student-athletes (any sport that is school-sanctioned or club) who demonstrate leadership, resilience, and service. Any adult (athletic director, coach, teacher, guidance counselor, parent) may nominate. All nominees receive free, lifelong access to character, leadership, and career development resources, and are immediately eligible for all applicable Positive Athlete recognition and scholarships.

Are you considering joining the military, attending a service academy, or applying for an ROTC Scholarship? Here are some details for you. Step 1—always attend the Connections visits and opportunities in the community for the service academies. Check out this Military Enlistment timeline that lists milestones of the enlistment process.

Tuition can include military dependents as specified in the state legislature documentation. My recommendation is to check the VA services department at your colleges of interest.

One example:

Free tuition in North Dakota institutions of higher education. A dependent, as defined in section 15-10-18.2, upon being duly accepted for enrollment into an undergraduate degree or certificate program of a North Dakota state institution of higher education, must be allowed to obtain a bachelor's degree or certificate of completion, for so long as the dependent is eligible, free of any tuition and fee charges if tuition and fee charges do not include costs for aviation flight charges or expenses.

The Special ForcesTrust offers scholarships to students whose parent is a veteran of the US Army Special Forces. Additional military-affiliated scholarship can be found here.

More Resources

VA Education And Training Benefits | Veterans Affairs

GI Bill, Montgomery and Post 9/11 GI Bills | Military.com

Education Scholarships for U.S. Army Special Forces Families

15 Scholarships for Military Children, Spouses, & Veterans In 2023

Over 100 Scholarships for Military Kids · Military With Kids

Colorado offers a Registered Apprenticeship Program Directory to help you find apprenticeship opportunities. Here is the link to the Colorado Registered Apprenticeship Programs Directory.

College Board offers free SAT practice resources, including Khan Academy to help you prepare for the SAT, which will be in April at TCA.
Schoolhouse offers free SAT Tutoring Bootcamp

March2Success offers free online SAT, ACT and ASVAB test prep

More test prep resources available on our Connections page

SAT and ACT free hour strategy session/online courses

ACT & SAT Fee Waivers

Katina Dahl: 9th/10th grade college/career readiness, AP, PSAT/NMSQT

Amanda Tagtow: 10th/11th mental health and academic support

Kenneth Schell: 9th/12th mental health and academic support

Jodi Hoffman: Office Manager, College & Career Visits, Community Service

Email: tcavisits@asd20.org
Website: tcatitans.org
Location: 975 Stout Road, Colorado Springs, CO
Phone: 719-484-0091 1104