O'Plaine College & Career News

What a busy fall it has been, and October is noooo exception! There are many upcoming college and career events and opportunities for students and their families, many of which are detailed in this newsletter. Between September and October, students have been attending Post-Secondary Seminar, where they are learning more about post-secondary options and resources, including SchooLinks (our new, online college and career exploration and planning platform). If students miss their seminar or wish to reference what was covered, click here. Parents/Guardians can create a shadow account to get college information, view upcoming college visits (under Events) and more! See this UPDATED communication on creating your account. Students, please remember, you can pop in to see me in the College & Career Center (Rm 258) during your free period or lunch study hall on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays, or you can email me at thartley@wths.net to set up an individual appointment to discuss your post-secondary plans. Have a great week, Blue Devils!

The Class of 2026 and 2027 are experiencing the biggest changes to the ACT & SAT in a century with the digital, adaptive PSAT and SAT and shifting landscape of the ACT. With the State of Illinois now requiring the Class of 2026 and beyond students to complete an ACT to graduate from a public high school, this is one presentation you won't want to miss! Come hear from the experts at Compass Education Group as they lead a pragmatic discussion of how to navigate these changes. This presentation is on Tuesday, October 1 at 7pm in the O'Plaine Auditorium. Please REGISTER in advance.

WTHS is offering a FREE, online, optional ACT practice test for WTHS Sophomore and Junior students on Saturday, November 9 - Sunday, November 10. Compass Education Group will be virtually proctoring the practice ACT that morning, and students can take the practice test from the comforts of their own home. Click HERE to review the details & to register. Deadline to register is November 4 at 5 pm.

If you're planning to attend college and neither of your parents completed a Bachelor's degree, then YOU are considered “First-Generation” or “First-Gen!” Did you know many of our Warren teachers are first-gen? Other well-known first-gen college graduates include John Legend, Sonia Sotomayor, Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama and many more. All first-gen O'Plaine students are invited to attend our first-gen, college and career prep workshops. Click below link if you are first-gen and would like college and career info, including information about our workshops! Our first First-Gen workshop will be on Thursday, October 10 during 4th period in the Library. Attendance will be taken.

The University of Illinois Urbana Champaign is hosting several webinar opportunities for families to hear from several Colleges about their academic programs. Click HERE for additional information.

High school students are invited to celebrate culture while learning about the admissions process at Somos Cincinnati on the campus of the University of Cincinnati on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. This bilingual program is designed to celebrate the Latinx student experience through the admissions process and beyond. Register here. During the event, UC staff will guide students through the college application process with sessions that include:

• Understanding the Common Application
• Storytelling and community-building
• Navigating college, scholarships and essay writing
• Showcase of Latinx organizations and offices

A complimentary brunch will be provided to all registered guests. The program also includes a tour of campus.

For students or families that are more comfortable learning in Spanish, they are pleased to offer the following Spanish language features:

• Financial Aid presentation with translation
• Spanish/English glossary presentation to identify commonly used phrases in the admission process
• Bilingual Spanish/English student panel to answer questions from students and families
• Bilingual staff and students to assist guests through the entirety of the day
  

On October 18 from 8:30 am - 12:00 pm, Lewis University will host the annual Sí Se Puede Conference. Sí Se Puede is an inspirational conference for Latinx high school students and families. This conference will empower and motivate students to pursue higher education, encourage them to overcome barriers, understand that they can achieve their goals, and expose students to a myriad of educational and career paths. Participants will engage in workshops designed specifically for their educational goals. Visit www.lewisu.edu/sisepuede for more information and to register.

• Join Quinnlyn Meadowcroft, our CLC College & Career Navigator, at 7:00 pm on October 29 via Zoom to learn more about the opportunities at CLC. Register HERE or see flyer.
• Zoom access: https://clcillinois.zoom.us/j/8502366304?omn=94241132444

College visits are in full swing! If you are considering college, it's highly recommended you take advantage of college visits. While they are not a replacement for college campus visits, hearing from reps that come to Warren will provide you with an overview of schools' majors, admission requirements, student life, housing, tuition, financial aid and more. All college visits are held in the College & Career Center (Room 258). To attend, students must have a college visit pass signed by the teacher of the class that conflicts with the visit at least 24-hours in advance. The signed pass will serve as your pass to attend and also provide you an opportunity to ask for missed work from your teacher, for which you are still responsible. Passes are available to print here, in the main office and in the College & Career Center. Three college visits per semester are allowed. See Ms. Hartley with any questions.

• You must be passing the class in which the visit conflicts to attend (your absence will be excused)
• If you have an assessment, presentation, etc. due in the class of the scheduled visit, you're expected to stay in class and can request the info provided from Ms. Hartley
• If visit conflicts with your lunch or study hall, it does not count as one of the three allowed
  
• If it conflicts with lunch, you are permitted to eat during the visit
• Visits are open to freshmen and sophomores and are a full-period in length - students are expected to stay for the duration of the period
• Limit 30 students per visit and first come, first served as space allows
• 1st semester the visits are live streamed from Almond, and 2nd semester they're in-person at O'Plaine
• Below are colleges coming in the next week, but you can view ALL upcoming college visits in SchooLinks --> Events.

Thursday, October 3

• Period 5: University of Illinois Urbana Champaign

Tuesday, October 8

• Period 2: Calvin University
• Period 7: Northern Michigan University

Thursday, October 10

• Period 2: Louisiana State University
• Period 3: University of Florida and UW-Stevens Point
• Period 5: Marian University (WI) and Colorado State University-Pueblo
• Period 6: Aurora University
• Period 7: University of Louisville

Tuesday, October 15

• Period 6: Vanderbilt University and Washington University in St. Louis
• Period 7: University of Illinois Chicago

Thursday, October 17

• Period 2: DePaul University, Loyola University & Xavier University
• Period 3: University of South Carolina & North Carolina State University
• Period 4: University of Iowa, Iowa State University, Northern Iowa University
• Period 5: Butler University, Saint Louis University, Drake University
• Period 6: Purdue University, Indiana University Bloomington
• Period 7: Colorado State University, University of Kentucky, North Central College, Illinois Wesleyan University & Lake Forest College

While visiting college campuses is an important part of the college search process, college fairs are FREE and a great way for students and their families to visit with many colleges at once. See list below for some upcoming fairs in our area, including Choices, a college fair for college-bound students with learning differences, on Tuesday, October 8 and the college fair at CLC on October 17! Click links below for more info and to register (registration is required).

10/5 NACAC National College Fair in Chicago, 11 am - 3 pm

10/6 NACAC National College Fair in Milwaukee, 12 - 3 pm

10/8 Choices: For College-Bound Students with Learning Differences at Niles North High School, 6 - 8:30 pm

10/13 NACAC Virtual College Fair, 12 - 5 pm

10/14 - 10/19 Midwest Online College Fair

10/16 Christian College Fair in Elmhurst, 6 - 8 pm
10/17 Regional College Fair at the College of Lake County, 6 - 8 pm

10/19 Christian College Fair in Northfield, 6 - 8 pm

11/3 NACAC Virtual College Fair, 12 - 5 pm

11/4 - 11/9 Northeast Online College Fair

12/2 - 12/7 South Online College Fair

Calling all future Black Doctors! Did you know that only 5% of all doctors in the United States are Black? Well, BigFuture’s Real Talk and the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) have teamed up for a free virtual event to help change this stat. Join us for an inspiring event featuring Black doctors who successfully navigated the journey from high school to the medical field. You’ll hear about how to become a doctor and preparing now in high school for med school with BigFuture’s help. You’ll also have the opportunity to ask your questions directly to doctors from our community who have walked the path from their high school halls to hospital walls! RSVP now and don’t forget to tap in for this special #RealTalkTuesday on Tuesday, October 15, 7:00 - 8:00 pm! Click here to register and for more information, including bios of the guest speakers.

As part of CLC's Manufacturing Month programs in October, CLC is pleased to invite students in grades 9 -12 and their parents to the Women in Manufacturing program on Tuesday, October 15 from 4:30 - 6:00 pm at the CLC Advanced Technology Center in Gurnee. Students who may be interested in or want to learn about a manufacturing career should consider attending this informative program.

The Illinois Council on Women and Girls, chaired by Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton, invites all girls in Illinois in grades 5 - 12 to apply for Girls Lead: a unique job shadow and mentoring opportunity. Accepted students will shadow a woman leader in state government to see the direct impact women make on Illinois. Participating mentors come from different areas of state government and serve in various leadership roles, including elected General Assembly-women, policy directors, general counsels, chiefs of staff, agency directors, and more. Students who demonstrate a strong desire to learn about the inner workings of state government should apply. Applicats will not be evaluated based on grades; instead, applicants will be judged on a scale emphasizing diverse achievements, personal resilience, examples of leadership (any size or shape), and community contributions. Click here to apply. Apps due Oct. 20.

Distinguished faculty from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University explains the growing role of cybersecurity in the aerospace industry and the career opportunities that it will create. This panel discussion highlights the real-world impact of the work being done at Embry-Riddle to secure our skies. Tune in via Zoom on on Oct. 22 at 6:00 pm CDT. Click here to register.

• Hear from leading voices in cybersecurity and aerospace about real-world insights
• Learn about protecting drones and aerospace systems with cutting-edge cybersecurity strategies
• Get info on exciting career paths in a rapidly growing field
• Connect with industry leaders and explore a future in this rapidly expanding field
  

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is on the leading edge of industry demand by preparing students for careers in the fastest growing fields. Over the next decade, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics foresees faster-than-average growth of 9% for electrical engineering jobs and 17% growth for software developers, quality assurance analysts and testers. Additionally, workers in both areas earn median salaries surpassing $100,000 annually. Get this leading universities advice on How to Become an Electrical Engineer and How to Become a Software Engineer. Pilots are also in high demand in the US, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics anticipating a need of more than 18,000 new commercial and airline pilots each year for the next decade. Be part of the next generation of pilots. Click here for more info on how to become a Pilot.

Representatives from the below branches of the U.S. Military will have an informational table in the Cafe during all lunch periods as indicated below. Stop by if you are interested, would like more info or have questions!

Marines: 1st Wednesday of the month

Navy: 2nd Wednesday of the month
Air Force: 4th Wednesday of the month
Army: 10/16, 12/18, 2/19 & 4/16

“The U.S. News College Rankings Are Out. Cue the Rage and Obsession.”
Every year, U.S. News & World Report publishes rankings that often change very little, though they draw attention and frustration from universities and applicants. Check out the New York Times article here.

"The Future of Good Jobs: Projections through 2031"
The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, a research and policy institute within Georgetown’s McCourt School of Public Policy, published a report forecasting the number of good jobs in 2031 for workers ages 25–64 by 22 occupational groups and three educational pathways (bachelor’s degree, middle skills, and high school). Click here for report.

For previous info and opportunities (some still available), visit newsletters below.

September 15, 2024

Ms. Trini Hartley
O'Plaine Post-Secondary Counselor

e: thartley@wths.net

p: 847-599-4532

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