Counselor's Corner

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

It's is unbelievable how time flies by. I am loving all the meetings I am having with students. College applications, galore, right now! Freshmen are adjusting ok to THS. Some wake-up calls are happening for them as the quarter grades are coming out. High school is hard, especially when assignments don't get turned in, haha, so lesson learned, hopefully. Clubs have started off to a great start, what a wonderful way for students to meet others. This month I have seen so much social growth for our students.

Push to get those college apps done if that is the pathway after high school you are taking.

Two sessions of the PSAT on 10/15. Make sure your students are well-rested before the test, please!

I have created a Google Classroom with resources and announcements...ask your students if they have joined yet. The join code is: 4bav26u

37 graduating students still need their community service hours!!!

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.

Please continue to reach out to me if any support is needed by any family or student. I am here for you ALL through email, phone, visits, Google Chats, Google Meets whichever is your preference.

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

Is there an experience, activity or opportunity you want to pursue, but cost is getting in the way?Youth Experience Sponsorship (YES) helps motivated kids access the experiences they choose—from tutoring and camps to sports, arts, vocational training and more. Visit www.youthexperiencesponsorship.org to learn more and apply.

Thank you, Josie, for pointing out this opportunity!

Exciting info for graduates....FAFSA opened early...

studentaid.gov then start new 2027-2028 Form.

What does UC actually want to see in your personal insight questions? Check out our latest video where UC admissions reacts to real PIQs with the help of some current UC students. They'll break down what works, what doesn't and how to strengthen this section of your application.

https://us.list-manage.com/NAFxJKQkhEP?e=e3e7cb2ef7&c2id=bfdf6ea0ac98cab4abeaf06ac9fb9e21

California students in kindergarten through 12th grade are invited to submit artwork or poetry with a California coastal or marine theme to the 25th annual Coastal Art & Poetry Contest. Entries can be submitted online by 5pm on January 28, 2027. For prize information, rules, contest flyer, entry form (and helpful links for teachers and students), please visit https://www.coastal.ca.gov/art-poetry/.

The California Coastal Commission, part of the State of California's Natural Resources Agency, also offers resources for educators and students throughout the year.

Check out this App Challenge: https://www.congressionalappchallenge.us/students/student-registration/

Some students were emailed the end of last year as well as this month if they are invited to apply to participate in the National Honor Society. Those application are due 10/1.

There is a cap on how many extra points you can receive:

• The UC can count extra points for up to 8 semesters (4 years)

• For 10th grade, no more than 4 semesters' worth of extra points can count.

So, for example, if you take lots of AP/honors classes, your UC GPA can be higher than your regular unweighted GPA, but there's a limit to how many of those bonus points count.

Check out the link to find out the different days for Fall Previews of different California State Campuses:
https://www.calstate.edu/apply/choosing-a-campus/Pages/campus-events.aspx

The Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) has their application ready to be filled out for Spring 2027 as well as Summer/Fall 2027 (graduates fill it out please).

I will need all the graduates to send me their SRJC ID, so I can communicate with our liaison about applications, orientations, etc.

Oscar, the liaison from the SRJC, will be here to help all graduates sign up for Fall 2027 on October 21, 2026 in the Student Center from 10 am - 12 pm.

More details on the actual project

https://www.nih.gov/challenges/nourish-autoimmunity-digital-health-challenge

Thank you, Surita, for pointing out this opportunity!

Check out the videos on the different Camp College Workshops to help you and your student prepare for college applications.

This comes from a THS Alumni and I would like to continue to share it as a college preparedness tool. There are 22 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.

College List Template

Applying to College?

1. Make sure you create accounts for CSU Apply, UC Apply, and/or Common App using your personal emails only!

2. Write essays for Common App as well as 4 out of the 8 PIQ (Personal Insight Questions)...have final drafts done by October 1st

3. List your activities: sports, volunteering, clubs, extracurriculars

4. Fill out brag sheet: https://forms.gle/wGVpjSsPazYuHmmw9 for teachers to write recommendations. Remember UC's and CSU's don't want/need rec letters. Remember to ask the teacher first if they mind writing one for you.

5. Apply for FAFSA on or after October 1st and possibly a CSS on Collegeboard if the college requires it.

Interested in College?

1. Start making a college list

2. Make list of activities with dates and a quick description of each

3. Think about majors you want to study for the career path you want

4. Look for internships and summer camps to apply to before February

1) Play two seasons of sports here at THS. *If it's tennis you must be one of the competitive players* (50% of our students do this)

2) Take TWO PE Classes at the JC, they must be fitness classes, not lecture classes.

3) If you are a Junior or Senior and have done 1 year of PE and are 16 years or older then you will just need to fill out a Google Form to be exempt. *Juniors will fill it out when they register for classes for their Senior year.* (The other 50% do this)

If you take two JC Fitness classes, please send us your final grades (unofficial transcript) from the JC!

Community Service 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.

You need 40 total to graduate (average of 10 hours per high school year)

College Courses

Turn in transcripts or snapshots of your final grades for any class you are taking outside of Technology High School and want credit for. Turn them in by the end of the year, please!

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

Did you know?

I am not just an academic counselor, but I also assist with Social Emotional. Maybe the word hasn't spread, but I am here for YOU for ANYTHING! Come talk to me about anything, I will talk you through things, listen, come up with strategies to deal with anxiety, etc, and show you some love!

Practice mindfulness by staying "in the present."

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

October

14th - Prospective Family Night 5 - 6:30 pm

15th - PSAT (C3) 8:30-11:30 am and 12:30-3:30 pm

21st - SRJC Liaison here for all graduates in the student center from 10 - 12 pm.

26th - Binghamton University Visit from 11:30 - 12:30 pm

28th - Prospective Family Night 5 - 6:30 pm

November

4th - ASB John Reed Filed Trip

5th - KTVU/Fox Weather New Field Trip

9th - Special Block Day Schedule

10th - Out of District Titan Tours 1:15 - 3:15 pm

11th - No School (Veteran's Day Holiday)

19th - ASVAB (Juniors) and In District Titan Tours 10:15 - 12 pm

23rd - 27th - No School (Fall Break)

December

11th - All Incoming Applications Due

14th - Minimum Day - Odd Periods

15th - 7th period final - Even Periods

16th - 1st/2nd Period Finals - Minimum Day

17th - 3rd/4th Period Finals - Minimum Day

18th - 5th/6th Period Finals - Minimum Day

21st - Jan 1st - No School (Winter Break)

January

4th - No School (Teacher Work Day)

5th - 2nd Semester Starts

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

2. 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/

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

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

1. Volunteers Needed for the Rohnert Park Halloween Carnival!

   Hi everyone!

   We’re excited to be part of the Rohnert Park Halloween Carnival on Saturday, October 24, from 12:00–5:00 PM!

   The Friendly Collective will be hosting 10 carnival games, and we’re looking for volunteers to help make the day fun, welcoming, and memorable for our community.

   We’d love to have 20 carnival volunteers join us for the event!

   Carnival Volunteers

   20 volunteers | 12:00–5:00 PM

   • Help run our 10 carnival games

   • Includes 3 roving volunteer positions to help wherever needed

   • Breaks will be provided throughout the event

   Set-Up Volunteers

   10 volunteers | 10:00 AM–1:00 PM

   • Help set up the carnival games and activity area before the event

   Break-Down Volunteers

   5 volunteers | 4:30–6:00 PM

   • Help clean up and pack everything away after the carnival

   A Few Things to Know

   • Please bring your own water and snack

   • Breaks will be provided throughout the event

   • All volunteers will be asked to sign a waiver before participating

   • We’ll have a SignUpGenius available so you can choose the volunteer shift that works best for you

   https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E044CA4A82AA4FC1-66484606-thefriendly

   Whether you can help for the full afternoon, assist with set-up or clean-up, or simply want to be part of a fun community event, we’d love to have you on our team!

   Thank you for helping The Friendly Collective bring some Halloween fun to Rohnert Park. We can’t wait to celebrate with you!

   Warmly,
   The Friendly Collective

   View, Appreciate or Reply

2. https://www.projectsweetpeas.com/volunteer
3. I wanted to reach out to see if we can get some HS volunteers for our Fall Festival event, Sunday, October 25th from 11am - 3:30pm.
   The event will be at Monte Vista.
   Here is the google survey for students to fill out if they want to volunteer.
   Please let me know if you have any questions or need anything else.
4. Redwood Empire Food Bank | https://refb.org/
5. My name is Phoebe with the Alzheimer's Association, and I'm reaching out to see if any of your students would be interested in volunteering at our upcoming Sonoma-Marin Walk to End Alzheimer's. Volunteer shifts are for set up Friday 4-6pm as well as for the actual walk on Saturday, October 3, 2026 at Sonoma State University
   
   We're looking for student volunteers to help with a variety of shifts and roles throughout the day.
   
   I've put together a Google Form with more details on available shifts, job descriptions, and timing: https://forms.gle/Nnstqx1oxb41M8UP9
6. https://russianriverkeeper.org/events/rrwcu/
7. I'm Kathleen Haynie, a member of the Oaks Spiritual Center, Church of the Oaks, in Cotati. The Center is in need of help with maintaining and updating our website, https://www.churchoftheoaks.org/home-1.html. We are an older group and have limited techie skills. We understand that your school offers students the opportunity to provide community service.

   We anticipate that the time required would be 3-4 hours per month. We are hoping that one individual, or two-three on a rotating basis, would be willing to help us out. It would be helpful to have our information updated, event flyers and announcements added, our community partnerships etc. added to the website regularly.

   Please contact me and let me know if this if this community service is one that your school student community would be interested in providing.

   In addition, our Minister, Patrick McCarty can be reached at 707-695-6289.

   Thank-you, with appreciation,

   Kathleen Haynie landline 707-665-9391

8. https://cvnl.org/teen-volunteers/

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