Connections Newsletter

With course registration open through March 7, we want to give you an overview of ways you can use your 4-year plan in Naviance to select courses based on your career and college interests. Here is a short video showing how to find the saved plan of study in Naviance and how to navigate college admissions pages. Your advisors are here to help you explore careers and colleges and select classes based on your goals. Stop by Connections with questions.

Thursday, March 13 from 9:30-12:30, Connections will be hosting a field trip to PPSC Dental/Medical facilities. This trip is open to students in grades 9-12 on a first-come basis and there is no cost. Students will tour the facility and learn about careers and education opportunities. Students will bring a sack lunch. Register in Connections by Friday, March 7.

At TCA

Tuesday, March 4, 8:40: Seattle Pacific University

Tuesday, March 4, 9:35: Northwest Nazarene University

Tuesday, March 4, 11:25: Dordt University

Tuesday, March 4, 12:20: John Brown University

Tuesday, March 4, 1:15: Covenant College

Wednesday, March 5, 8:40: Missouri University of Science and Technology

Wednesday, March 5, 9:35: Fort Lewis College

Wednesday, March 5, 11:25: Geneva College

Wednesday, March 5, 1:15: Pikes Peak State College

Thursday, March 6, 12:20: Career Talk: Kelsey Breiner – Early Childhood Education

Thursday, March 6, 1:15: Baylor University

Friday, March 7, 8:40: Colorado Mesa University

Friday, March 7, 9:35: University of Providence

Friday, March 7, 1:15: Colorado Mountain College

Monday, March 10, 10:30: Mini-College Fair

Thursday, March 13, 9:30-12:30: PPSC CHES Medical/Dental Field Trip

Tuesday, April 1, 10:30: Gap Year Fair

Wednesday, April 2, 9:35-10:25: Overview of Engineering Fields

Wednesday, April 2, 10:30-10:55: Mandatory Soph Flex – Choosing a College Panel

Wednesday, April 2, 5:30-8:00: Rising Senior Family Night/Engineering Panel

Tuesday, April 15, 9:00-10:45: Junior College Application Session

Wednesday, April 30, 8:30-10:30: Fire Station/Careers Field Trip

Application Deadlines

Application: 3/15/25; Connections Rec Ltr: 2/21; Teacher Rec Ltr: 2/28

In the Community

Sunday, March 2, 6:00-7:00: Mizzou Sneak Peek, Denver

Tuesday, March 4, 6:00-8:00: Colorado Springs Area Christian College Fair

Saturday, March 8, 9:00-11:00: RMACAC Spring College Fair, Pine Creek HS

Saturday, March 9, 1:00-4:00: RMACAC Spring College Fair, Cherokee Trail HS

March 11, 13, 18, 21: Young Adult Job Fairs

Saturday, March 29, 10:00-12:00: SCAD Admissions Event, Denver

Monday, August 11, 7:00-9:00: Colleges That Change Lives College Fair, Denver

Virtual

Tuesday, April 8, 6:00-7:00: Cracking the Code: Financial Aid Offers Experts will offer guidance to help you interpret your financial aid packages

If you are looking for volunteer opportunities, check out VolunteerMatch, the Children’s Literacy Center, Rocky Mountain Conservancy, local food banks, animal shelters, community centers and churches. As a reminder, all students must complete 40 hours of community service and write 4 (four) 350-word reflective papers by the end of the third quarter of their senior year (March 21, 2025 for seniors). Hours and papers are logged in the Community Service (x2VOL) link found on the TCA Intranet page and under the Family tab on the TCA website if logging in from home. If you need help, refer to these Helpful Hints or stop by Connections.

To borrow or not to borrow? We recommend that you make an informed decision before considering a student loan. The Student Debt Affordability Calculator can help you make the decision.

Scholarships play an important role in paying for college. There are many scholarships available for merit, leadership, community service, academics, athletics, many fields of study, and for students who demonstrate financial need. Here are some scholarship resources for juniors and seniors along with tips for winning college scholarships.

Are you interested in becoming a teacher? Here are ways to help pay for your education.

To entice younger employees, major companies have begun offering massive college tuition benefits, like tuition reimbursement. Some of them are even paying for all college costs. Companies include Target, Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot, UPS, Lowes, Apple and Wells Fargo.

The Baylor Benefit Scholarship. is a competitive scholarship that offers full tuition coverage for a select number of incoming freshmen with significant financial need and an adjusted gross income under $50,000. Apply by March 1.

Explore these links to learn more about each school’s summer programming. As a student, participating in a summer program is a great way to further explore your interests, get a taste of what it is like to be a college student, visit a college campus, and learn more about topics that interest you.

Clark University – Summer Game Studio

EHL Hospitality Business School – Introductory Hospitality Camps

Ohio State University – Democracy Camp, Arts and Sciences Summer Exploration Program

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute – Pre-college Summer Program

University of California, Santa Barbara – Pre-college program

University of Nebraska – Lincoln – Pre-college Summer Programs

University of Rochester – Pre-college Summer Program

WashU – Pre-college Summer Programs

Other Opportunities

The African American Youth Leadership Conference (AAYLC) will be on Saturday, March 8, from 7:00 am – 3:00 pm at Colorado College. The conference features engaging workshops in Leadership Development, Fine Arts, College Preparation, Entrepreneurship, Black History, STEM, Workforce Management, Personal Growth, and much more. Register here.

STEM Next Flight Crew is a nine-month program where members share their stories on regional, state and national stages; participate in mentorship opportunities; and lend their voices to push for more STEM opportunities in out-of-school-time. Apply by March 12.

Are you considering joining the military, attending a service academy, or applying for an ROTC Scholarship? Here are some details for you. Step 1—always attend the Connections visits and opportunities in the community for the service academies. Check out this Military Enlistment timeline that lists milestones of the enlistment process.

Have you considered applying to a service academy or ROTC Program? This process starts the junior year but attending a presentation as a freshman or sophomore is HIGHLY recommended. Here is a copy of last years’ Service Academy presentation. Note: all contacts are not current. You should also plan to attend the community meeting this spring. Watch our newsletter for the date once it is announced.

Tuition can include military dependents as specified in the state legislature documentation. My recommendation is to check the VA services department at your colleges of interest.

One example:

Free tuition in North Dakota institutions of higher education. A dependent, as defined in section 15-10-18.2, upon being duly accepted for enrollment into an undergraduate degree or certificate program of a North Dakota state institution of higher education, must be allowed to obtain a bachelor's degree or certificate of completion, for so long as the dependent is eligible, free of any tuition and fee charges if tuition and fee charges do not include costs for aviation flight charges or expenses.

More Resources

VA Education And Training Benefits | Veterans Affairs

GI Bill, Montgomery and Post 9/11 GI Bills | Military.com

Education Scholarships for U.S. Army Special Forces Families

15 Scholarships for Military Children, Spouses, & Veterans In 2023

Over 100 Scholarships for Military Kids · Military With Kids

Campus Visits Visits to college campuses can help you build and modify your college list. In the state, you have examples of many different sizes, locations and focuses. Do you want a location that is urban, suburban, or rural? Do you want a small, mid-size, or large campus. Do you want a block plan? Do you want to walk out of your dorm and see some people you know, do you want to know everyone you see, or do you want to blend in and see people you know occasionally? When you visit, here are some great questions to ask!

In the past year the University of Alabama’s competitive speech team, the Alabama Forensics Council (AFC), won ten championships across three national tournaments. AFC is one of the most accomplished groups on campus and is UA's oldest co-curricular organization. Students across many majors develop invaluable professional presentation skills to engage in intellectual discovery.

AGDAILY’s 2025 Undergraduate Agricultural College Guide is an expansive and detailed compilation of higher-ed institutions across the United States that feature agriculture programs.

The degree tracks at these schools are as wide and varied as the ag industry itself — from agribusiness and agricultural education to plant and soil sciences to animal science and pre-veterinary majors.

Gemological Institute of America, the creator of the 4C’s and the International Diamond Grading System, offers gem and jewelry online and in-person education.

What is an apprenticeship? Are there scholarships? Read here for more resources. Colorado offers a Registered Apprenticeship Program Directory to help you find apprenticeship opportunities.

Do you have questions about apprenticeships? Check out this website link for FAQs! Apprenticeship for Parents & Families | Apprenticeship

Save this information for your future current college student internships: BuiltIn Colorado lists internships such as 2025 Summer Intern: Associate Data Insights Analyst - Spectrum | Built In

Knowing some digital skills is not enough. I am no longer surprised when a student does not know how to map to a printer, understand what a cloud is, join a virtual call, find Outlook, or modify columns on an Excel spreadsheet. I am not surprised when a student tells me “I don’t know, _____ formats it for me. However, their future jobs require this foundation knowledge!

Colorado’s in-demand foundational digital skills include:

• Computer Literacy

• Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint

If your child (or you) does not have these skills, there are resources to gain knowledge.

Click here to Learn New Things for Free (or inexpensively)

SAT fee waivers are available to low-income 11th- and 12th-grade students in the United States. A student is eligible if they enroll in or are eligible to participate in the federal National School Lunch Program (NSLP), or their family's annual income falls within the Income Eligibility Guidelines set by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service. Be sure to look at the current year's guidelines to verify.

The next SAT testing date is May 3, 2025. Register by April 18, 2025.

Additional test dates: June 7, 2025

Schoolhouse offers free SAT Tutoring Bootcamp

March2Success offers free online SAT, ACT and ASVAB test prep

More test prep resources available on our Connections page

The next ACT testing date is April 13, 2025. Register by March 8, 2025.

Additional test dates: March 8, May 3, and June 7, 2025

Find out what is changing on the ACT in 2025 here.

Joanna Peters, Director - Junior, Senior

Katina Dahl, Advisor - Freshmen, Sophomore, AP, PSAT/NMSQT

Jodi Hoffman, Office Manager - College & Career Visits, Community Service

Email: tcavisits@asd20.org
Website: tcatitans.org/Connections
Location: 975 Stout Road, Colorado Springs, CO
Phone: 719-484-0091 1104