College and Career Center counselors, Ms. Nguyen and Mrs. McClenaghan, at Aliso Niguel High School are here to help students with a plethora of topics regarding their futures.
The college counselor office is located in room 500 on the Aliso Niguel campus.
Mrs. McClenaghan is the Career Guidance Specialist at Aliso Niguel. Meaning she focuses on more of the career side of the College and Career Center.
McClenaghan promotes career technical education, which are offered at ANHS and other high schools in the district. Classes like medical, business, automotive, robotics and more. She helps get information about these classes for students, and also helps them register for these classes.
Not only does Mrs. McClenaghan help with career classes, but she also offers career exploration in order to let students discover their interests and what they want to do by exploring different types of careers. Self-assessments are also helpful in allowing students to learn more about themselves.
The job application process, resumes and interviewing skills are also things Mrs. McClenaghan can help students with.
Mrs. McClenaghan says, “So if students do have questions about what they can be doing to prepare for their future career, or if they are undecided and don’t know what to do, I’m here and happy to help and support.”
Ms. Nguyen is Aliso Niguel’s college and career counselor. She works with a team called futurology, a team of credentialed school counselors that have expertise in college admissions. Her job is to help students with their plans after high school, whether it is a four-year university, community college, vocational school or any path a student may want to take after they graduate high school.
Nguyen mainly focuses on informing students about the college application process, helping students with their applications, keeping parents within the loop and advising students on extracurricular activities.
One on one meetings are also something Ms. Nguyen offers. Students are required to fill out an in-depth form. The form includes all sorts of questions relating to college and career, such as asking about a student’s plans, college list, hopes for the future, what they enjoy in school and what they are concerned about. She then uses that information to help curate helpful information for students, and offer advice suitable for their situation. The sessions usually last half an hour.
Ms. Nguyen says, “My goal is to help every student at Aliso Niguel be prepared for their future.”
Parents are also welcome to talk with the college career counselors. Ms. Nguyen provides parent events to help the guardians of the students stay informed. She also assists families in the application process for both financial aid and college.
In the fall semester, during Wolverine+ sessions, currently both college career counselors are focusing on senior students since it is college application season. On Tuesdays, Mrs. McClenaghan guides the seniors with their resumes, as it is a part of the college application process. Besides resumes, Mrs. McClenaghan also provides presentations and workshops on career related topics during Wolverine+.
While for Ms. Nguyen, her Wolverine+ sessions are heavily centered around college application information and guiding students through the writing process as well as applying. As of now, Wednesday’s Wolverine+ sessions are topical, meaning there are presentations on specific college-related topics that are pertinent to seniors. Topics include things such as applying to UC’s and Cal States, telling students how to write a college essay, how to highlight extra-curriculars in order to stand out, how to transfer from community college and what financial aid is.
In the spring semester, both college career counselors will transition their Wolverine+ sessions and their focal points onto every grade level at ANHS. Preparing seniors, juniors, sophomores and even freshmen for knowledge about college, and help them build their college list.
College counselor, Ms. Nguyen is also planning more after-school events for parents and students. She will be hosting a thread of financial aid workshops. Along with that, she will have presentations on pathways for education after high school, as well as A-G requirements that need to be completed in order to apply for UC’s and Cal States, how to be competitive for college admissions and how to search for internships and volunteer opportunities that align with your interests.
Ms. Nguyen says, “My availability is all day, because students have open periods, they are welcome to stop by any time.”
Both college career counselors are available year-round, at any time of the day during school hours. They are happy to answer any questions and help all students with anything regarding their future at the College and Career Center.
