Beth Anderson, College & Career Advisor
Be sure to watch for announcements with reminders about the various opportunities and deadlines mentioned below.
Career & College Advisor Notes...May 2021
Dear Students and Families,
Along with an incredible number of wildflowers, May brings with it lots of schoolwork and decision-making, transitions and culminating projects, positive change and tough choices. Whatever you’re working on this month, I’m here to support you! This month’s content focuses on employment opportunities for students and soon-to-be-graduates: there’s a wide range of seasonal and permanent positions available to you.
Local Summer Job Opportunities
Many local employers are looking for seasonal help in food service, retail, housekeeping, construction, farming, and a wide variety of industries. The Methow Valley News Classifieds are an excellent way to see what’s available! Either find a paper copy of this week’s paper or use the link above and select “Employment” from the drop down menu to see the current list of open positions at local businesses.
Virtual “Meet the Employer” Series—Tuesdays on Zoom
Are you looking for work or just interested in learning more about our local employers? WorkSource and the Apple STEM Network would like to invite you to participate in their Virtual Meet The Employer Series, Tuesdays from 10 a.m. – 11 a.m., throughout the month of May. This event is open to all high school students.
Attendees will have an opportunity to connect directly with hiring managers to learn about current and future positions, the application process, and tips and tricks to set themselves apart from other candidates. All events are free and open to the public and will be held through Zoom. Register now and you’ll receive an email with the Zoom meeting information. (One of the largest employers in our valley is Sun Mountain Lodge, and they will be featured in the May 11 installment of this series!)
High School to Highways Program—Washington State Dept. of Transportation
WSDOT is looking for enthusiastic career-minded individuals to join their dynamic Highway Maintenance teams to support the vast infrastructure across Washington State. WSDOT is coordinating with local Career and Technical Education (CTE) partners to blaze a career path for recent high school graduates looking to enter the workforce full-time.
With “High School to Highways,” selected candidates are hired as an entry-level Highway Maintenance Worker (HMW), provided a formal on-the-job training plan, and paired with a mentor to coach and support them toward obtaining the experience and credentials needed to advance their career in transportation. Successful completion of the training plan will result in a promotion to the next level within the job class series, and a minimum 5% pay increase! For more information, including details on how to apply vist: High School to Highways – Maintenance Worker (In-Training). And check out this interview with a maintenance tech in the HSH program:
Congratulations, Class of 2021!
Beth/Ms. Anderson
Beth Anderson
MVSD College and Career Advisor
banderson@methow.org
(509) 996-2215, x4175
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
Now to June 1 • Local Scholarship Applications are Due
Seniors, remember to fill out applications for as many local scholarships as possible! All application forms and instructions are in the Scholarships 2021 Google Classroom. See Beth Anderson or Erika Spellman with questions, and please plan to turn in all printed application materials to Mrs. Spellman before the respective scholarship deadlines. Congratulations, Class of 2021!
Tuesdays, May 4, 11, 18, 25, 10:00-11:00am — Virtual Meet The Employer Series
Open to all high school students; register now.
Throughout the month of May • Celebrate the Class of 2021 on Social Media
We will be celebrating EVERY member of the Class of 2021, whether you attend LBHS, the ILC, Running Start, or homeschool. If you have not done so already, PLEASE submit a bio and photo so your families and the MVSD community can celebrate your accomplishments on Instagram and Facebook.
Career Exploration Resource List
College & Career Compass
A new tool from the Washington Student Achievement Council with resources to help you explore educational pathways and find supports for your individual needs.
Find Your Grind
Research careers based on your lifestyle assessment; free to all LBHS students.
Naviance
Career and college research tools available to all LBHS/ILC students.
ReadyWA
Career exploration & financial aid resources for students and families.
Other Helpful Resources
Paying for College
If you missed the live “Paying for College Night 2020” Zoom presentation, please watch this recording. The information shared here applies to all students who are planning to attend a trade or technical school, 4-year college or university, community college, or any other career training program.
We tackled questions related to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is the foundation of the aid process. Other topics we covered include: calculating the net price of attendance, exploring the four main types of financial aid available to students, and navigating the aid process in the time of COVID.
General Information
The College Board website provides you with all the information you need for applying to college. It allows you to compare colleges. It provides you with GPA and SAT information to how you compare with other students. It provides financial information about the cost of schools and how they distribute their financial aid. This website also has a Expected Family Contribution and a Net Price Calculator available. www.CollegeBoard.org
FairTest lists all of the colleges that do not use SAT/ACT scores for admitting students.
www.FairTest.org
List of all schools in the Western Undergraduate Exchange. Students who are residents of WUE states are eligible to apply for a reduced tuition rate of 150% of resident tuition at participating schools.
https://www.wiche.edu/tuition-savings/wue/
Common Application
Start your Common Application.
FAFSA Info
This is the official site for the FAFSA.
Scholarship Info
Scholarship Training Guide – Washington Apple Education Foundation (WAEF)
“Twenty-six years ago, members of Washington’s tree fruit industry formed the Washington Apple Education Foundation (WAEF) to develop, promote and manage the industry’s charitable works. The foundation has increased support for college-bound students annually. This year 310 students are on college campuses with help from $1 million in WAEF scholarships.”
View/download Guide
WashBoard
“Looking for scholarships? We connect Washington students of all types with Washington scholarship providers….for FREE.”
www.WashBoard.org
Fastweb
“Leading online resource for finding scholarships to help you pay for school.”
www.Fastweb.org
Unigo/Scholarship Experts
“Sign up to get matched to scholarships that are perfect for you.”
www.ScholarshipExperts.com
Books
Fiske Guide to Colleges
Best guide to colleges and universities.
The College Solution – Guide for Finding the Right School at the Right Price
Lynn O’Shaughnessy
Great book on the financial aspects of college. Her website is also extremely helpful. www.thecollegesolution.com
College and Career Counseling Program
The goal of our College and Career Counseling program is to provide students and their families with the information and resources necessary for them to make well-informed choices about their post-secondary education. Liberty Bell recognizes the diversity in our families and understands that what might be right for one student may not be a good fit for another.
Therefore, we work individually with students and their families to help them successfully develop and achieve their post-graduation goals – whether that is applying to a 4-year, 2-year or technical college, designing a productive Gap Year plan or entering the military or workforce. Some of the specific services that we offer include:
- Educating students and parents about the post-secondary educational choices available to them.
- Meeting individually with juniors, seniors and parents to help them with their college lists, the application process, college essays and financial aid needs, including the FAFSA, the Profile and College Bound Scholarship, as well as with SAT/ACT prep and registration.
- Holding college information evenings for students and parents to make sure that they have all the resources and support they need to reach their goals.
- Working with the guidance counselor to ensure that 9th and 10th graders take the necessary classes to be eligible for college admissions.
Applying to college should be a fun and exciting process; but at times it can be a bit overwhelming. If you find yourself feeling stuck, or if you have questions about any part of the application process, contact our office at (509) 996-2215.
We would like to thank the Public School Funding Alliance for their generous support of this program.