Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the College Access topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lockinata High's College and Career Center reports surge in use, highlights student-led FAFSA and admissions outreach
Summary
College and Career Center counselors and student leaders told the La Canada Unified board the center saw nearly 1,400 one-on-one student/parent engagements this year, expanded college-rep visits, and secured UC/CSU fee waivers for fire-impacted families.
Counselors and student leaders from Lockinata High School's College and Career Center (C3) updated the La Canada Unified governing board on Thursday, saying the center's services have expanded rapidly and that peer leaders are powering outreach and application support.
"Over this past year, we had almost 1,400 students and parents come for one-on-one support," Lisa Chung, the district's college and career counselor, told the board, noting that demand has grown sharply since the center's ribbon-cutting in February 2023. Counselors said the center provides drop-in help, scheduled appointments and evening events to guide students through college applications, financial aid paperwork and career pathways.
Student leaders described hands-on outreach: peer-led presentations on the FAFSA and CSS Profile that students said made the college-application process less intimidating. "FAFSA can be a super intimidating process... the presentation really just gave a solid starting point and outlined every step," a C3 leader said. The students also highlighted events such as the "college app crunch" nights and a webinar for NCAA student-athletes that drew international participation.
Counselors and board members also reported success securing fee waivers for families affected by recent fires, and said the C3 team has presented at national and regional college-admissions conferences. Board members praised the center's student leadership model and encouraged continued outreach to underrepresented families.
Next steps: counselors said they will continue to track participation, refine outreach to seniors during decision season and return with further impact measures in future updates.
