Source: Coronado Unified School District
There was something for everyone at the Coronado High School College and Career Day on Monday, January 30, 2023. Scheduled for the morning on the first day of the spring term, the event provided an opportunity for students to meet personally with representatives from a variety of different career and educational institutions.
“This was the first time we have done this event on this scale. It is extremely exciting to see students really think about their future and the plans after they graduate. It was a wonderful way to start a new term,” said Coronado Unified School District Lead Counselor Kristen Ereno who was responsible for organizing the event.
Students and activities were organized by grade level with grades 9, 10 and 11 rotating between counseling presentations on academic planning and the 2023-24 course selection process, a guest speaker, and the college and career vendor fair with over 40 institutions. Seniors also attended the vendor fair and guest speaker assembly, and then chose from workshops including: Financial Aid and FAFSA; Community College; and ‘I’m going to college… Now what?’ which covered college portals, acceptances, letters of intent, dorms and housing, required documents, transcripts and more.
“The kids really took advantage of stopping by as many vendors as possible and they asked great questions. I couldn’t be more proud of our Islanders,” said CHS Principal Karin Mellina. “We had over 20 four-year universities, all branches of the military, community colleges, trade schools, gap year programs and a wide variety of career paths including medicine, nursing, welding, EMT, cosmetology, architecture, fashion, police, fire, lifeguard, electrician, and summer jobs,” added Mellina.
The featured guest speaker was Dream Catcher Founder, Steve Ward. Ward’s presentation focused on inspiring students to examine their skills and interests to drive academic decisions and to help them recognize their purpose. He also encouraged students to recognize the impact of social media and gaming on their overall wellbeing.
The CHS counselors gave presentations addressing a variety of topics including what to consider when planning a four year academic schedule, the reasons behind the PSAT exam, NCAA sports eligibility, and how courses are recorded on a transcript.
Both Mellina and Ereno agreed the event was “a great opportunity for students to think about their futures and understand the scope of their options.” They credited parent volunteers, CHS administrators and counselors, and the many community partners who showed up for making the event run smoothly.
