Counseling: The steps towards a fulfilling future

Although counseling at University High School is often seen as basic help for class changes and course scheduling, it is one of the treasure troves on campus, as it gives students access to attentive ears and heartwarming support. One door down from the athletics office in the administration building, counselors are able to support students by discussing course scheduling for the upcoming school year, giving college advice, providing support for difficult circumstances, and fulfilling credits needed to graduate. There are six counselors, who are assigned to students based on their last names: Mr. Nate Schoch, Ms. Hanna Addessi, Ms. Nancy Nguyen, Ms. Angelique Strausheim, and Mrs. Jamie Adams. Students can walk in to the counseling office at lunch, break, and before or after school. If it is an especially busy time of year however, such as the start of the year when counselors are often overloaded with course change requests, they may have to schedule an appointment with their counselor via email in order to receive a counseling session, which commonly ranges from 10-15 minutes. The process of course scheduling and fulfilling requirements to graduate consists of a sit-down meeting discussing various options based upon the needs and interests of the student, with future needs for college requirements (such as the UC requirements) consistently discussed throughout the whole session. Students will be required to attend a junior year planning meeting with their parents in the spring of their sophomore year in order to prepare for junior year course selections. Within the spring of junior year, students will have the opportunity to sign up for their senior year classes through a counselor led discussion session allowing students to sign themselves up through Aeries.