Hello and welcome to a new edition of the College and Career Corner newsletter!

I hope you have enjoyed the fall break this month and are ready to jump back into the semester with new energy. This month sees the launch of several programs that I am excited to share with you and your student(s). I look forward to continuing to collaborate with you all and develop some great plans for the future!

If you have questions or would like to connect, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me!

Steph Munkachy

College and Career Coach

(they/them/theirs)

Email: s.munkachy@mcaabhm.org

Phone: 205-582-8737

Sign up for a meeting: https://calendly.com/s-munkachy

This month, we welcome a variety of arts and communication professionals into MCAA during high school lunch. Most sessions will take place on Friday, Sep 13, however Jillian Marie Browning will be attending on Tuesday, Sep 10. Here is the form to register for each session.

Information about each guest's specialty is included in the flyer below. Students may sign up for Jillian's session, as well as a session of their choice on Friday by submitting two registration forms.

During the month of September and October, we will offer students an opportunity to become certified to drive and operate a skid steer. This is the first of three heavy equipment certification sessions that will be held throughout the year. Students may register via this form.

Students will engage in self-paced online learning modules to master safety information, then lab days will be held in October for students to drive and earn their certificate. Students must be at least 16 and hold a valid driver's license in order to participate. Please see the flyer attached for additional information.

This month, we are inviting over 20 of Alabama's in-state universities and community colleges to speak with students during Advisory period. Colleges will share information about their academic programs, admissions process, campus environment, and more, and then students will have the opportunity to speak with recruiters at their table. See the flyer attached for the scheduled institutions.

All High School students are invited to attend, with special focus on Juniors and Seniors. Students should register at this link.

Careers in the Arts, Audio/Video Technology, and Communications cluster focus on designing, producing, exhibiting, performing, writing, and publishing multimedia content including visual and performing arts and design, journalism, and entertainment services. Folks who are creative, collaborative, strong communicators, and good at taking their own initiative within their work would enjoy careers in this field. Those who score high in Creative, Social and Enterprising personality qualities on the Holland Code assessment would be well-suited for these pathways.

Here are some useful facts about careers in this industry:

• The arts contribute more than $800 million a year to U.S. economic output, according to a 2019 report from the U.S. Department of Commerce.
  
• Almost 3 million people work in arts, A/V technology and communications fields in the U.S.
  
• Freelance work is common in many of these careers. Some jobs require frequent travel and have irregular work hours.
  
• As demand for printed media trends downward, news organizations focus more on developing web-based content like podcasts, video, and social media.

You can find example careers in this field and learn about salary, education, and prospective growth by checking out O*Net Online.

On October 18th, Sophomores will be taking the PreACT test and throughout the fall Seniors may be registering to retake the ACT test during national test dates. Although many schools accept students on a test-optional basis, a large number of in-state public universities do rely on ACT scores to determining merit scholarship awards. Therefore, maximizing an ACT score can open doors for students' future opportunities and help them develop confidence in their ability to succeed in post-high school environments. The PreACT is given to 10th graders in order to assess their readiness for the ACT, and to provide students and families with important data that can help guide their preparation for the coming year.

Consider having conversations with your student early and often about preparing for the ACT, and coming up with a plan for working on skills and engaging with practice material. The public library system often hosts ACT bootcamps for free, and there are a variety of paid tutors or prep services both locally and virtually available. Below is a resource sheet that includes a variety of information on the ACT, as well as a flyer for an upcoming Bootcamp at the Irondale Library this month.

This year, all high schools in the state of Alabama have also been given access to Varsity Tutor for free. Students can access their account through Clever, and on this platform they will find ACT preparation lessons, pre-tests, videos, and also have access to live chat tutors across all subject areas. Students simply need to log into their Clever account using their MCAA Google email address, then find the tile for Varsity Tutor in order to get started.

Seniors will be engaging in weekly Senior Sessions throughout the month of September focused on preparing for college applications. Below are the topics and dates for upcoming sessions this month, as well as the link to the Senior Calendar. All Senior Sessions take place during Advisory, so it is important for students to arrive on time.

Sep 9: Senior Session #4: College Research-- finding the right fit with virtual guest Scott Garbini

Sep 16: Senior Session #5: Application prep-- Developing a Personal Statement

Sep 23: Senior Session #6: Application prep-- Your Experience Inventory

Sep 30: Senior Session #7: Application prep-- Writing Your Common App Essay

Students should have already scheduled and completed their one-on-one meetings with me as well as their Senior Fall Form. If they have not, they may sign up for a meeting on my Calendly.