CHS adds counselor to aid in post-grad choices

Julian Watson is a man charged with a mission: help Cape Girardeau Central High School students and their families navigate the paperwork and processes surrounding the college-application process.

And, he noted, he's also educating students on post-graduation options.

Watson graduated in May from Southeast Missouri State University, after studying psychology and political science, he said.

"I help connect students, especially low-income or first-generation college attendees, with post-secondary planning, and I advise them on careers and colleges," Watson said.

That could mean educating students on the differences between trade schools, community colleges and universities, he said.

Watson also has an eye to students' employability in a given field. Technology within the trades and renewable energy are both growing fields, he said, and students can prepare for careers in those fields at nearby schools -- if they know the programs are available, what the requirements are and how to apply to the schools.

"It's a freshman-to-senior process," Watson said. "We start early."

That way, students can work on their grades, study specific subjects, think about their extracurriculars and start preparing for their senior-year application processes, which, Watson said, can be a scary process.

Watson's position was arranged by Tony Robinson, deputy supterintendent of secondary education for the Cape Girardeau School District, in coordination with the University of Missouri at Columbia, said district spokesperson Kristin Tallent.

Central High School also offers a college readiness class, taught by Theresa Taylor, that gives students a chance during school hours to practice creating resumes and cover letters, filling out applications for schools and scholarships and filling out the Federal Application for Student Aid, or FAFSA.

Genesis Buitrago, a senior at Central, said she's taken the class both her junior and senior years.

Not only has she learned a lot about the paperwork processes involved in applying for post-high school paths, she said she's learned from firsthand accounts brought by former Central students, who have returned to talk about their experiences with room and board, living away from home, and other practical tips, Buitrago said.

And, Buitrago said, her class took a field trip across the parking lot from the high school to the Cape College Center, "to get a good feel for it."

Watson said he's noticed several universities rolling out programs to help students fund their educations, including Southeast's Copper Dome program and University of Missouri--Columbia's "land grant" program.

Both are intended to help streamline the scholarship process, he said.

And, he said, he plans to help students capitalize on those programs, and others like them at other schools.

"We are extremely excited to have yet another resource on our campus that can help connect students to the post-secondary opportunity to best fit their needs," Robinson said. "For some students, just having a person tell them college is an option is the difference-maker. Having a near-peer mentor on campus who is advocating for students to plan for life after high school is invaluable." Robinson said.

He added, "We know that for many families, filling out financial aid and college applications are a daunting task. We never want that to be the reason a student misses out on going to college, joining the military or enrolling in a trade school. We want families to realize we have a number of options here at Cape Girardeau Public Schools that allow students to receive support so they can achieve their goals after graduation."

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

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