College and Career Readiness

Congratulations to school counselor, Trisha Calkins on her recognition as OC Supervisor Katrina Foley 2025 Fifth District Woman Making a Difference Nominee! Trisha was nominated because of her leadership and unwavering dedication to students. Congratulations, Trisha! We are all proud of you!

Today, we had a wonderful time exploring college and career options with hundreds of kindergartners from elementary schools at KinderCaminata 2025! At our table, students had a great time learning about different jobs through a career coloring book, and using job clues to identify different careers. Thank you to all the wonderful staff and volunteers who helped make this event so special. Our students’ futures are bright indeed!

Wrapped up We Care Day with a successful We Care Resource Fair! We were thrilled to see the community come together to underscore the importance of mental health and wellness. We are grateful for all the school board members, superintendent, cabinet, students, parents, school counselors, teachers, and community organizations who stopped by our table to discuss the school counselor’s role in mental health. We are also thankful to everyone who made this wonderful event a reality!

Congratulations to and school counselor Noemi Alvarado who was recognized this week at the School Counselor Symposium as Orange County Elementary Counselor of the Year! This well-deserved recognition celebrates Mrs. Alvarado’s unwavering dedication to supporting our students, fostering a positive school environment, and making a lasting impact on their social, emotional, and academic growth. We are grateful that Mrs. Alvarado is a part of our team!

Congratulations to these incredible students who matched with highly selective colleges through QuestBridge and will receive full four-year scholarships! Your hard work, resilience, and determination have paid off! This is just the beginning!

offers monthly Counselor Drop-in Support Centers for school counselors to get questions answered. This month, we are joined by Annabel Garsilazo, Social Services Specialist for McKinney Vento, to answer questions around district support for students

Yesterday, secondary school counselors, higher education coordinators and AVID teachers completed specialized training on Xello. Xello is a platform that engages students in Kindergarten through 12th grade in college and career planning. With this training, participants were equipped to provide even more personalized and effective support, to help students build self-knowledge, navigate their educational journey and plan for bright futures beyond high school!

Oh, the places you’ll go! Yesterday, students went to UCLA as part of ’s college and career exploration. They explored the campus, learned about college life, and saw firsthand what higher education can offer. Early college exploration inspires students to dream big and imagine all the possibilities ahead. Thank you to for an unforgettable experience!

Seven school counseling programs were honored at the 2024 California Association of School Counselors () Awards Night in Riverside for achieving recognized American School Counselor Association ( ) model program (RAMP) status. These programs earned this award by demonstrating data-driven decision making and intentional programming that led to positive student outcomes!

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As part of ’s college and career exploration, took students on a field trip to UCLA. Students explored the campus, learned about various majors, and got a taste of college life! These experiences help students connect develop the mindsets and behaviors to become architects of learning!

Congratulations to on a successful Fall School Counseling Advisory! Participants learned about Davis Elementary’s school counseling program, data trends on campus, and gave feedback on counseling goals for the year. Thank you to the Davis students, parents, administrators, FACE liaison and district staff who attended and gave such valuable feedback!

On October 7, hosted a Youth Mental Health Convening at Saddleback High School. District staff, community organizations, local agencies, and other partners, came together to:

🌟Listen to a student and parent panel
🌟Learn about SAUSD’s tiered mental health supports
🌟Discuss the state of youth mental health in Santa Ana
🌟Collaborate to identify innovative strategies

Thank you to everyone who participated and shared their insights. Let’s continue working together to make a lasting impact!