Walking into the College & Career Center (CCC), a rainbow of pennants across the wall welcomes every student. On each flag are universities and community colleges, in-state and across the nation.

But college guidance is just one of the CCC’s many jobs — students can also find volunteer opportunities, find extracurriculars and explore careers. Every year, incoming freshmen receive a tour of the CCC. By senior year, most of them will frequent it often from August to January — infamously college-application season.

“We’re a hub for students to explore their interests,” CCC Counselor Laura Duran said. “From there, we can look at different opportunities together.”

Duran answers drop-in questions from students who come by the CCC. She also works alongside College Adviser Angela Price, who holds more personalized conversations with students about their college aspirations, through closed-door meetings. The two also facilitate workshops and other events to prepare students for life post-graduation. 

Workshops and Events

Senior Serra Kozat began visiting the CCC junior year when she attended the center’s University of California Personal Insight Questions (PIQ) writing workshop. The first in her family to apply to a U.S. university, Serra said she sought out the CCC for the resources her family couldn’t provide. 

“Some students don’t realize how valuable of a resource the center actually is,” Serra said. “People don’t take advantage of it as much as they could.”

That PIQ workshop is one of the CCC’s many college application-related programs. Last summer, they piloted a two-part application bootcamp, helping students with various parts of the UC and Common Application. 

Countdown to College, the CCC’s annual spring virtual workshop and webinar series, is another way juniors can explore post-high school pathways. The series discusses athletic recruitment, international universities, financial aid and more, and is uploaded to YouTube for on-demand reference.

“It was a chill, low-pressure segue into the college process,” senior Josh Hwang said. “It helped me know what to expect during the application process.” 

The CCC also welcomes college representatives to visit all fall. Representatives come from the regional admissions departments of schools from across the country, sharing an overview of their school and answering students’ questions about applying and college life.

“These visits are ways to connect with someone who might read your application which could lead to scholarships and other opportunities,” Duran said. 

To keep students up-to-date even when they’re not visiting the CCC, Duran also sends weekly emails with the CCC’s bulletin, detailing special events, volunteer opportunities and important application and scholarship deadlines.  

“We’re trying to ensure all students are aware of these opportunities,” Duran said. “We want to make everything accessible.”

Exploring Career Paths

But “College” is only one part of the CCC’s name. Price and Duran’s guidance spans beyond applying to four-year schools; they encourage students to explore all careers and educational paths, whether it’s trade school, community college or other work opportunities. 

“These are all valid pathways,” Duran said. “We have so many opportunities to help students receive good benefits and find meaningful work.” 

Still, Duran and Price said they want students to continue pushing themselves by searching for post-highschool pathways with the most growth opportunities. When a student is interested in such pathways, Duran often hands them a packet with information on local community colleges, steps to obtaining specialization certificates or degrees required in specific industries. 

“We know it can be overwhelming to explore all of the possible pathways,” Duran said. “But we don’t just give students a packet and say those are all of their options — we do it in a more personalized, ‘See you next week’ way.”

Through field trips and student-led initiatives, the CCC dedicates itself to informing students beyond office meetings. For example, students visited the Pipe Trades Apprenticeship Center two years ago.

Beyond large-scale events, Duran and Price value building individual relationships with students to support their unique aspirations.

“A lot of students think we don’t have time for them because there’s so many kids,” Price said. “But Ms. Duran and I never turn away a student.” 

Looking Forward

In recent years, the CCC has been working to expand collaboration with students from diverse academic backgrounds, such as those in AVID, special education classes, and English Language Development programs.

“We see mostly our mainstream kids who need very little support,” Price said. “So I’m excited about the reach-out that we do for kids who don’t get the same support at home.” 

By hosting representatives from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and liberal arts colleges, they aim to expose AVID students to colleges beyond UCs and California State University systems. They also maintain close contact with AVID teachers and students through weekly meetings with CCC mentors. 

Moving forward, Duran said the CCC wants to keep testing new approaches to ensure students in special education and English Language Development programs feel as supported as possible. 

“We help a student no matter what,” Price said. “Ms. Duran and I got you.”