

Building and Bridging Pathways Through Identities
As a Grade Level Coordinator, I recognized the privilege to identify as a first-generation college graduate because it has allowed me to build a rapport


Adaptability as a Form of Equity
Implementing a social justice and equity framework when working with students is crucial for their empowerment and success. As a coordinator for Avenues for Success


Building Student-Driven College & Career Access Programming- Part 2
I believe that the people who are closest to the problem should be centered when finding the solutions. Therefore, when addressing the problems of access


Building Student-Driven College & Career Access Programming- Part 1
Student persistence and retention has been a primary concern across all higher education institutions with many placing a priority on four year graduation rates and


First-Year College Experience & Finding a Sense of Belonging
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”


Shifting The Silencing Of Black Joy
We are six months into the year and life has truly attempted to interrupt black joy. As I reflect, it’s as though we get bombarded


The In-Between
Dear school counselors, When first asked to write a blog post about my article on college readiness, I was only too happy to write about


My Education is the Explosion of My Mother’s Dream Deferred
I come from places where enduring inequalities is the norm. I’ve seen my mother come home exhausted after a long day of work struggling to


Over the Rainbow: A Career Development Group for LGBTQ+ Teens
LGBTQ+ students face many barriers, often including school violence, harassment, and bullying (GLSEN, 2019; Rockenbach et al., 2017; Strear, 2017; Zamani-Gallaher & Choudhuri, 2016). Continuous


Career Academies as a Strategy to Promote College and Career Readiness for High School Students
The most critical contemporary objectives of secondary schools in the United States are to prepare students to be college and career ready. Yet, definitions of


Study Abroad: Perspectives from Historically Underrepresented Student Populations
Over the past few decades, colleges and universities within the US have welcomed a more diverse student population than in years past. To support all


Campus Visits as Predictors of Postsecondary Enrollment: Implementation and Lessons Learned
Introduction In 2014, College Access Partnerships at Appalachian State University (AppState) launched a 7-year grant program, Appalachian GEAR UP, aimed at increasing the number of


From Traditional to Tailored: How School Counselors Should Consider the Career Development Needs of Minoritized Youth
Career Development in the 21st century is wrought with historical complexities, current disparities, and future problems that warrant a critical investigation. Despite small gains in


A Case For Learning Communities
As we navigate through the pandemic, we can admit the past two years have been very difficult. In the case of students, in addition to


The Path to Online Learning
What are students supposed to count on during times of uncertainty and change? Forced to suddenly move from a traditional face-to-face routine to a foreign


Equity-Based Career Development and Postsecondary Readiness Special Issue and the NEED for the School Counseling Profession
Now more than ever, a postsecondary education or training is needed given the shift in the workforce and the credentialing needed for employment in certain


The Pandemic’s Impact on Students’ Postsecondary Decisions- Part 2: Where Do We Go From Here?
“COVID-19 has decimated many people’s mental health and it will take a long time to recover.”~High School Student, Class of 2022 ACT’s recently released (February


The Pandemic’s Impact on Students’ Postsecondary Decisions: Part 1
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed an educational system rife with inequitable access to resources and insufficient support needed to overcome barriers already contributing to existing


Journal of College Access Puts the Focus on Undocumented Students
By Diana Camilo Co-Executive Director, Center for Equity and Postsecondary Attainment, San Diego State University The Journal of College Access has published a special issue,


Don’t let the pandemic change your college plans, apply to college today!
By Ashley Johnson Program Officer at the Kresge Foundation Should I still apply to college? Is college still worth it? How can I even think


#GraduateStudentsNow- Brittani Williams
Responses by Brittani Williams Educational Leadership Policy Ph.D. student at Texas Tech University What inspired you to want to become a school counselor/higher ed professional?


Culturally Responsive Education: Reflection – Beyond the School Walls
Liberation Through Education- Part 3 By John Johnson Director of Postsecondary & Alumni Affairs Looking Back to Move Forward Over the last couple of weeks


#SDSUSCFellows- John Johnson
Interview with John Johnson Director of Postsecondary & Alumni Affairs What inspired you to want to become a school counselor? I grew up in a


#SDSUSCFellows- Emily Johnson
Interview with Emily Johnson Licensed School Counselor and Department Head at Plainwell High School What inspired you to want to become a school counselor? I


#SDSUSCFellows- Kimberly Twarowski
Interview with Kimberly Twarowski School Counselor at Shelby Junior High What is the biggest challenge you faced in your own educational journey? After I received


Parents, an Underutilized Resource
By Heidi Pair Assistant Director at Renaissance Academy Though I do not have “school counselor” as my title, I have had the privilege of being


#SDSUSCFellows- Stacey Hickman-Jackson
Interview with Stacey Hickman-Jackson K-8 School Counselor at Nolan Elementary & Middle School If you could go back and visit your elementary, middle, and or


#SDSUSCFellows- Rayme Martineau
Interview with Rayme Martineau Educational Consultant for Marquette-Alger RESA If you could go back and visit your elementary, middle, and or high school counselor, what


#SDSUSCFellows- Ruby Griggs
Interview with Ruby Griggs School Counselor at Hamtramck High School What inspired you to want to become a school counselor?Education is powerful. It opened a


#SDSUSCFellows- Rakiba Mitchell
Interview with Rakiba Mitchell School Counselor at Southeastern High School & Founder/CEO of HBC&U Legacies What is the biggest challenge you faced in your own


#SDSUSCFellows- Stephanie Patrzik
Interview with Stephanie Patrzik School Counselor at Grand Traverse Academy & District Leadership Team What inspired you to want to become a school counselor? I


#SDSUSCFellows- Cathy Longstreet
Interview with Cathy Longstreet School Counselor at Hastings High School & K-12 Counseling Department Chair What is one thing you would tell your younger student


What Students Need Now
Kimberly Redmer School Counselor & Teacher at Flint Southwestern Classical Academy Our children are falling behind in their academic career to the extent that they


#SDSUSCFellows- Rebekah Ward
Interview with Rebekah Ward Middle School Counselor at Lincoln Middle School, Michigan. What inspired you to become a school counselor? I was inspired to become


#GraduateStudentsNow- Gabrielle J. Jackson
Responses by Gabrielle J. Jackson (she/her/hers) MS/Ed.S in School Counseling Program, Educational Psychology & Learning Systems at Florida State University What inspired you to want


Dear Parent
Danielle Gordon MA, LPC, NCC, SCL, PMH-C Dear Parent, You are good enough: when you let your child watch tv instead of do homework when


What is the Purpose of High School?
Holly M. Markiecki-Bennetts High School Counselor Open up an internet browser and type “What is the purpose of high school?” into the search engine. The


“All We Need Is…” A Perspective Piece
By Lucy Becker Harmon Academic Dean at Summit Academy North High School As the world commemorated the graduating class of 2020, albeit, in untraditional ways,


Double Jeopardy
Sheryl Williams CEO and Founder of Teach1-Reach1, LLC Educational Consulting. School counselors are especially positioned to help schools and students recover from the pandemics. There


Supporting Students Through Imposter Syndrome
By Venus Israni Ph.D. Candidate in Higher Education, Boston College “How did I get into this program?” “Do I really belong in this college?” “People


Conquering Imposter Syndrome
By Sean Richardson Master’s student in Higher Education Administration at Boston College In 2016, I found a black hole in my stomach, and it would


What are my Postsecondary Options?
Vania Silva Masters Student, School Counseling, San Diego State University The big questions many high school students are tired of hearing are “where are you


#GraduateStudentsNow- Zachary George Short
Responses by Zachary George Short (he/him/his) M.A. in Counseling in Educational Settings at Rowan University What inspired you to want to become a school counselor?


Where Should I Apply as a BIPOC?
By Venus Israni Ph.D. Candidate in Higher Education, Boston College “Which colleges should I apply to?” College counselors across the country guide students through this


Got College and Career Information? It’s Complicated!
By Dr. Laura Owen Executive Director Center for Equity and Postsecondary Attainment We know that access to the best information influences students’ college decisions. Yet,


Tapping Into Transition and Bridge Programs to Address Summer and COVID Melt
Kathy Chau Rohn Doctoral Student, Educational Leadership & Higher Education, Boston College The transition to college is fraught with challenges, particularly for students who have been underrepresented


Using Hip-Hop Based Practices to Foster College and Career Readiness for Students in Urban School Settings
Ian Levy, Ed.D. and Erik M. Hines, Ph.D. “I believe everyone is born into the world to do something unique and distinctive.” Dr. Benjamin Elijah


Text-Message College Advising: The Great Equalizer?
By Karen Arnold Associate Professor, Educational Leadership & Higher Education, Boston College Sadly, high school students’ zip code and their family background are the best


Learning Communities: A Safety Net to Improve Academic, College, and Career Outcomes for Black Males
Erik M. Hines, Ph.D. and Edward C. Fletcher Jr., Ph.D. Far too often, the narrative around Black males in the P-16 educational pipeline has been


Types of Financial Aid
Vania Silva Master’s Student, School Counseling, San Diego State University What are Grants? A grant is money from the federal government that does NOT have


Reach Higher Stories from Riverside, CA
Priscilla Grijalva High School Counselor, Riverside, CA A School Counselor and AVID Coordinator share Reach Higher Stories from Riverside, CA, and all over the nation!


Financial Aid: What is it? How to apply?
Vania Silva Masters Student, School Counseling, San Diego State University What is Financial Aid? Financial aid is money meant to help students pay for college.


What is College Counseling Now?
By Laura Owen & Venus Israni Executive Director, Center for Equity and Postsecondary Attainment, San Diego State University & Doctoral Candidate, Boston College, Higher Education


Back to Basics
By Karen Arnold Associate Professor, Educational Leadership & Higher Education, Boston College When my daughter was 14, I asked her whether she thought she might


Forget the College Counseling Timeline- What Do We Do Now?
By Kathy Chau Rohn Doctoral Student, Educational Leadership & Higher Education, Boston College 2020 brought both new challenges and shed light on the same problems we’ve experienced


Rethinking College Advising During A Pandemic
By Laura Owen Executive Director, Center for Equity and Postsecondary Attainment, San Diego State University Billions of dollars have been spent and countless efforts employed