The spring semester marks the start of new Wolverine+ workshop offerings at Ms. Nguyen’s College and Career Advantage Center in room 500.
This semester, Ms. Nguyen is shifting the focus of her Wolverine+ courses to focus on a wide variety of college exploration topics aimed at helping freshmen, sophomores and juniors prepare for college and their futures.
Fall semester Wolverine+ workshops were centered around helping senior students in their final stages of college preparation and applications, but the spring semester Wolverine+ workshops offer more general support for all grade levels, with different days of the week designated as a specific topic.
Each Wednesday’s Wolverine+ course is a specialized presentation session to prepare juniors and underclassmen for the upcoming college application process. These workshops will explore different types of majors, career paths, and also the best strategies for applying to colleges. Underclassmen will be advised on extracurricular activities to enhance their application, build a competitive college profile, and plan for the summer months ahead.
Ms. Nguyen, the CCA counselor, said, “Because space at my Wolverine+ sessions is limited and I want to ensure every student at Aliso Niguel is able to have access to this, I record every single one of my topic-based presentations and upload them to a YouTube playlist available for student access. That way, students who cannot make it can watch the recording after the session has passed. I also try to email students updates, a recording of that session for that week, as well as a copy of the presentation on a weekly basis.”
In addition to the structured Wednesday Wolverine+ workshops, there will be ongoing support available on Fridays at the CCA center. Wolverine+ sessions held on Fridays are designated as drop-in sessions where seniors can receive help with the process of applying for financial aid and any other remaining questions about college applications. Juniors and other underclassmen will also have the opportunity to work on college search strategies and get their college questions answered.
Amitis Yaghini (12) said, “The Wolverine+ sessions I attended were very informative and made me more confident in my college applications as I was able to get most of my questions regarding college answered during Wolverine+ sessions.”
Ms. Nguyen’s Wolverine+ workshops will guide students through how to build a personalized college list, with an emphasis on finding their “perfect college fit.” Factors like location, campus culture, academic programs and extracurricular opportunities are all explored to help students discover schools that match their interests, needs and aspirations. These workshops aim to help underclassmen broaden their ideas for career paths and potential schools, who may not yet have considered the wide range of options available to them.
Another offering that is especially helpful for underclassmen is advice on standardized testing such as the SAT and ACT, which will be addressed in the spring workshops. There will be sessions providing clarity on how to prepare for and approach these exams. Community college course questions will also be addressed during these workshops, to help students plan and get credits.
For seniors, Wolverine+ workshops will continue to provide support, and towards the end of the semester, there will be Wolverine+ sessions that focus on which colleges students got into and rejected from. As senior students navigate the college acceptance and rejection process, Ms. Nguyen will be hosting an event called the “Rejection Letter Shredding Party,” a lighthearted yet meaningful event. This event allows senior students to let go of any negative emotions and have closure with the rejection letters they received as they shred the letter, embrace their college commitment decisions and celebrate the opportunities ahead.
Ms. Nguyen’s spring semester Wolverine+ workshops are designed to provide students with the tools and knowledge they need to plan ahead, explore their interests, and make informed decisions about their academic futures. From finding the right college to enhancing a student’s profile and considering different career paths, these workshops are tailored to ensure that every student has the resources they need for success.
