- Hey everybody, I'm Connor.
That's Doug. And this is the Bethel
School District Presents podcast.
And we have a truly amazing show for this week.
- We absolutely do.
Later in the show, Connor's heading over to one
of our high schools to talk with a career counselor
and some of her students will find out
what a career counselor does
and how they help set students up for success.
But before you do that, Connor, I have a question.
I want you to actually ask it
of the students when you're over there at the high school,
and I want to ask it of you first, sir,
we teach our kids a lot
of great things when they're at school.
If you could become an expert instantly,
that's a snap of a finger right there.
You're an expert in anything, some field of study.
What would it be, Connor and why?
- Wow, that's a good question Doug.
You always come up with these great questions.
Let me think about that. Hmm
- Hmm.
And you always do this thing where you go, Hmm,
while you're scrolling your phone trying
to find an actual answer,
- Don't tell them how the sausage is made. Doug
- , - We keep some secrets here,
but I will say that is a fantastic question.
And my answer is, I'd like to be able
to make balloon animals really well ,
like really well, like the best balloon animal maker ever.
- What would be your go-to balloon
that you would want like this?
This is the one you're known for.
What would be the balloon animal? I'm gonna
- Go a panda bear and a panda bear.
. I'm gonna make a panda bear balloon.
I don't know how I'd do it.
- I dunno, either. Normally blue. See, I'm not an expert.
Normally they're long and stretchy like,
like wiener dogs and things like that.
A panda bear. But see,
- That's why I'd be an expert.
I could make ones that no one has made yet.
- That is fantastic. That's actually a
really good answer. Yeah.
- Well there we go. Maybe I'll stick with it.
What about you Doug? Where are you going?
- Well, it actually is a really good question
and like always, I don't actually have an answer that's,
I'm just the one that asks the questions, Connor.
So take that question, take a few other questions
and you're gonna head on over to Spanaway Lake High School
to talk with a career counselor and some of her students.
And when you return, I'll have my answer waiting for you.
- Joining us today is Colleen Coic.
She is a college
and career readiness specialist at
Spanaway Lake High School.
Thank you so much for joining us. We'll jump right into it.
So Colleen, one of our school district's goals is making
sure students are prepared
for success in post-secondary education, career and life.
Another way to say it is making sure our
graduates are career and college ready.
There's a lot that goes into making that happen
and your job as a career specialist is
an important part of it.
For those who don't know, what does a career specialist do?
- So, um, in a career specialist role,
what we do is really vast.
We kind of try to tailor our plan for how we interact
with a student based on their need.
So some kids wanna go to a four year traditional college,
some will want to end up at a community college,
two year college, tech school, trade school.
Some will want to go straight to the workforce, whether
that looks like a career
or into an apprenticeship or internship.
So what we do as career specialists is we actually meet
with each student one-on-one, we ask them
what they would like to do after they graduate from high
school, and then we help them tailor a plan on
the steps to get there.
So if they wanna go to a four year university,
we'll help them select some schools depending on their major
and if they wanna be far away from home
or close by, what their finances might be
to pay for that school.
And then we help them basically come up with a list
of usually 10 colleges that would be a good fit for them
and help them explore each of those colleges.
We can help them do the, um, admissions applications.
We connect them with admissions counselors
who come here from the colleges to chat with students
if they wanna go to a two year community college.
We offer field trips there.
So campus visits are super important.
Um, as far as if it's a student who just has no idea
what they wanna do, we try
to start at the community college route
or have them think about a career that they would like to do
that would make them most happy. Yeah, that
- Is, that is a huge job.
You're covering a whole array of things here.
Our strategic plan is what's called
a portrait of a graduate.
It says we want students to graduate
with the following attributes, communications,
critical thinking, confidence, competence, and compassion.
I'm sure your work touches on all or most of those,
but which one in particular do you see students
needing help with the most?
- I would say from my role,
communication is probably the number one thing that I think
would fall into the broadest category for most students
that need help there.
When in terms of thinking about a career
or a college, you always need to go to an interview.
You always, you know, that could be an admissions interview
for a certain major at your college.
That could be a career interview.
Um, you could have to go through an interview process
for a really awesome scholarship opportunity.
So I think when in terms of these kiddos having been
through covid for so long, a lot of them don't have um,
or know how to properly communicate
or they just don't know where to get started
and they feel almost shy about bragging about themselves.
So that's something that we try to work on really hard here.
Having them write about those awesome things they have done
and then teaching them how to put that into words
and communicating that better
to make them look like the most, um, successful candidate
amongst all of their peers.
- Oh, I'm so glad you mentioned that
because I think it is often overlooked.
We think about in school, okay, we're teaching them science,
math, there is a communications aspect to this.
You've got to be able to sit down with an adult
and have a clear, honest conversation about what they bring
to the table and a job environment
or in a college environment.
So it's really awesome that you're teaching
that with a job like yours.
I'm sure you see many celebrations as students find jobs
or get accepted into trade schools, apprenticeship programs
or colleges and universities.
Recently you had a central Washington University
and Washington State University visit
for some pretty exciting events.
Can you tell us a little bit more about those?
- Yeah, so, um, annually each year we work with a handful
of colleges that actually come into the school
and do what's called on the spot admissions events.
They're really awesome.
So what happens is a student applies to that college
and then the admissions counselor will schedule a day
to come down here to the high school.
All of the students that applied at
that school get to come into the room together.
So you get to meet your peers that might be going to school
where you're going to school, um,
and then you are given a, um,
decision whether you are accepted or not that day.
If it's a decision that is not favorable.
The admissions counselor actually works with a student
that day one-on-one
and talks to them about steps that they can take to reapply.
Um, and you know, like whether that means changing classes
and taking classes that would be meeting their,
it's called college academic disbursement requirements.
They would talk to them about schedule changes,
just keeping their GPA up to be able
to be accepted into that college.
We love those events so much
because you know, a, you get to see who might be going
to school with you because that's such a
huge barrier for these kids.
They don't wanna leave home.
You would think that they would just be so excited
to get out that door and start their adult lives,
but they're actually for the most part, really timid
and they want, they want that comfort
around them in their community
and they know that when they're seeing other kids here
that are applying for that school,
that they're gonna go away
and they're gonna have that friend
or that new person with them that went here that, you know,
it's like taking a piece of home with you.
So, um, that's one
of the reasons why I love on the spot admissions so much.
Also, a lot of students here are first generation college,
um, so they don't really know, you know,
like how does, how to apply.
They don't feel like they maybe have that support
and the career center and the on the spot admissions events
really kind of give them like wraparound embracement support
to be able to do that, um, every step of the way.
And it's just really valuable.
A lot of times, you know, kiddos don't understand
what the requirements are to get into a college
and the admissions counselors are just, they're so nice.
Most of the time they're students
that actually went to that college.
So they can speak of everything about that college,
whether it's campus life, what clubs they can do,
what sports is like there.
They'll give them a real take on
what it is like when they come to those on the spot events.
Unfortunately a lot of colleges when you apply you have
to pay a fee at every single college you apply for,
for the on the spot admissions events,
they actually waive the fee in most
cases for all of our students.
So they're really cool events and then they get swag too.
So bragging rights,
- You're so right.
Those events are fantastic.
I've been to a couple of them over the years
and it is so it's hard
to not be moved seeing these students get this amazing news
that they got accepted to this college.
Maybe it's a college they've wanted to go
to their entire kind of adolescent life
and to finally get that yes
and to see that on their face, it is so cool.
It's like such an uplifting thing.
I I, whenever I see that on
our calendar, I'm kind of excited.
And you do, you get a lot of those types
of things here at this job.
What made you choose this job as a career specialist?
And what about Bethel and Spanaway Lake High School in
particular do you like the most?
- That's an awesome question.
So I actually started off, um,
over at CTE at district office
and just kind of getting
to go out in the buildings occasionally really inspired me
and kind of led me to know that this is where I belonged.
Um, I'm really invested in our spanaway community so I,
I purposely wanted to be at Spanaway Lake High School so
that I could help our kiddos really understand
and search for future opportunities
coming from the CTE world, which is really tied in
with post-secondary career options
and things like that has, has really been a big draw
for me coming here
because it's tying in the CTE world with the career
and college readiness world so that the kids get kind
of a broader scope on what you can do here in the now.
Um, and take that with you
for your future post-secondary steps.
So that's part of why I decided to come here
because it's um, like you said, just coming out,
being in the buildings you, you're inspired by seeing all
of the cool things that the students are doing
and seeing the courageous steps
that they're taking to get there.
It's a really meaningful position and I absolutely love it.
So I couldn't see myself anywhere else.
- Well we're glad you're here
and we are glad you joined us today
and we are also thrilled
to welcome Spanaway Lake High School students, Jacelyn,
Shamaya, Alexis and Cushy to the show.
So as high school students, what's the biggest
obstacle you see in life after graduation?
Jacelyn, we'll start with you.
- I would say paying taxes and anything with bills
because in high school we don't have to worry about that.
Even if you have a job, we do have a few classes here
that help us with that, but it doesn't give us the whole
spectrum of how it's gonna look like
when we're actually outta school.
- Absolutely. I can attest paying bills is the worst.
What about you Shamaya? Same, same question.
What's the biggest obstacle you see in
life after graduation?
- I guess financially stabilizing myself.
'cause like my parents, I know
they're not gonna help me afterwards.
That's why I do like scholarships.
So I feel like just being able to feed myself
and take care of myself, it's like my biggest obstacle.
- That is a big obstacle.
I mean people take that for granted.
Just surviving is not easy. Alexis, what about you? I
- Would say just knowing what I wanna do outside
of high school, that part is really tricky
and a little bit scary
'cause we know what's going on the four years we're in high
school and as soon as we're out, we're out.
And that's kind of difficult and scary to navigate.
- Cushy, what about you? Uh,
what's the biggest obstacle you see
in life after graduation?
- I would've to say relocation as I'm starting
to compare all my options for college next year.
I really want to think about which campus would be a best,
be the best fit for me
and I'm just a little scared of not being able to adjust.
- So these are all very legitimate obstacles,
which I'm sure you'll all overcome,
but what is it about Spanaway Lake High School
that's helping you prepare to overcome those obstacles?
And are there any teachers
or staff in particular you wanna shout out? So
- SLHS has some amazing staff who has given a lot
of input about all these colleges and their experiences
and I've taken all of their input into
consideration and it's really helpful.
I also know that our career center offers field trips
to UW Tacoma and I personally didn't go
but I know a lot of my friends did and they had a great time
and I think it's helpful to see it in person
to know if the campus is a good fit for
- You.
So I'm sure you all have huge plans
for life after high school.
What are those plans post high school
plans for you? Jacelyn?
- So I'm going to go to UDub Bothell
for my Bachelor of Science in nursing.
I am going to be a certified nurse assistant
before I graduate, so I'm gonna be working
as well when I am learning.
- That's awesome. On the job training. We love that.
And, and Shamaya, what about you?
What do you plan on doing after you graduate?
- I wanna like work throughout the whole summer
before I go to college
and um, I'm going to Eastern Washington
for science and diagnose.
So I wanna be a baby sono
and yeah, I can work as well on the job
as well during college
- And and cushy, what about you,
whatcha gonna do after you graduate?
- I plan to attend a four year university
to get my bachelor's
and then from there I want to apply to a master's program
to become a physical therapist.
I also value travel a lot, so I would hope
to look into some study abroad programs. Mm-Hmm,
- .
So you're all about to finish your high school careers
and I'm sure there's a lot of hard fought knowledge there.
What advice would you give to any middle
or high school students listening to this?
- I would say create boundaries with yourself, especially
with other people too because when you get into high school
and middle school, you have a whole bunch
of new perspectives in the world.
But I would say create boundaries
because a lot of people like
to overstep boundaries when you don't
really have them created. So
- That's very good advice.
Alexis, what about you?
Any, any good advice that you would pass down?
- There's a lot. I would say keep up with your grades.
Um, that one's very important.
I would also say I ask for help.
There's no shame in asking for help.
It's very frowned upon sometimes,
but you're trying to get somewhere
and if you need help ask for it because it will benefit you.
Nobody's batting an eye when you need help.
I would also say have fun.
It doesn't all have to be super serious.
Play sports, join clubs, practice a hobby
'cause those will make you feel good about yourself
when you are struggling in school.
'cause you might and having something else other than just
academics will keep you pushing, if that makes sense.
- Cushy, what about you? Any advice
you'd give to a younger student? Mine
- Is actually kind of similar to Alexis's piece of advice.
I would say really truly go out of your comfort zone
and take advantage of the opportunities
being presented to you.
You know, before I joined all the clubs
and sports that I do, I was just so sure
that I would not have a good time,
but I ended up being so wrong.
I've gained so many skills
and just the most unforgettable memories
and I feel like doing all those extracurriculars really
helped me make the most outta my high school experience.
- Okay, here's the fun one.
If you could instantly become an expert in just one thing,
what would it be and why?
Jason, we'll start with you.
- So I always have these weird dreams about me being a
synchronized swimmer and I really wanna be a synchronized
swimmer, but I'm a cheerleader, so it's kind of, kind of,
um, different spectrum of the world.
But um, yeah, I feel like I would love to be a mermaid
for like the rest of my life basically. That's what it is.
- , that's an awesome answer.
We're, I don't know how we're gonna
get better than that, but All right.
Alexis, what's your one thing you're instantly
an expert at? Okay,
- So this is kind of random, but I always wanted
to like fly a plane.
Like I wanna become a pilot, not like actually,
but like just fly a plane,
but I can't, I'm blind so that's not gonna work.
But if I could one day just sit up there in the sky
and just fly a plane expertly know
what all the buttons mean, that would be awesome.
- Yeah. Not have to worry about
crashing, you know, what you're doing.
I mean, that's a good one. That's you.
You'd have to, you'd skip thousands of hours
of flight school, uh, cushy.
You're, you, you're an expert.
Immediately, what are you gonna pick?
- I would want to immediately be an expert in cooking
because I've come to the very difficult realization
that my mom will not be coming with me to college.
So I'm gonna have to touch up on my chef
skills this summer.
- Very useful.
All these very useful, especially the mermaid
one that's gonna come in handy.
All right, shamiah, we're coming back to you.
It's pressure's on now. I told you there's no pressure.
I was lying. This is pressure. So what do you got?
You're what, what, what would you be an expert in if you
could immediately be an expert?
Skip all the process of learning it. Um,
- I think being a private investigator, you know,
be like secretive and like all that.
I think that would be so cool just
to just follow people around.
I don't know, just like in, in the dark
and like secret. Yeah. .
- I think you could follow people around right now,
but I mean, I like where you're going with that so.
Well awesome. Thank you so much everyone.
You've been awesome. And, um,
congratulations on your impending graduation
and we're all excited to see what you're gonna do next.
- Great interview as always, Connor.
Love hearing from those students and career counselors.
Man, I wish I had leaned on mine a little bit more
when I was in high school.
So I really encourage all of our students to take advantage
of that amazing resource that we have at our high schools.
That's gonna do it for the show. This, wait,
- Wait.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa,
- . Whoa.
- Wait a minute there, Doug.
You're not getting off the hook that easy. I know.
I say that every week. You forgot the big question.
We saw all the, all these students answered.
They had great answers. Don't steal any of theirs.
But if you could snap your fingers
and have a particular set of skills appear like
that, what would it be?
- First dynamics Snap. Way more base than mine had. It
- Was lefthanded too. Oh,
- your ambidextrous.
I didn't even know this. Learning a lot
of things about you here today.
I'm going back and forth between two.
So I'm gonna say both of them.
One, I'd love to become like a stock market expert
so I'd be able to read the room,
or at least the Wall Street Journal,
which I can barely even process.
My second, and I'm sorry, I'm gonna have
to borrow C's answer here, is I'd like to be a better cook.
I'm good at following a recipe, Connor,
but when it comes to just throwing things together off the
pantry shelves and out of the spice drawer, I,
that's not a skill I have.
I'm a recipe follower.
I'd like to be a little more creative in my cooking.
- Oh, those are two great answers.
I also love food and money.
So , once you're good at those, gimme a call.
- will do. And until then,
we're gonna turn the mics off and sit here in the dark
like we do every week.
I'm Doug and that's Connor.
And we'll chat with you next week.