The City of Menlo Park hosted its first College and Career Day at the Belle Haven Community Campus on Saturday. Over 75 families attended the event to explore the variety of possibilities for their path after high school. The event was supported and funded by the Menlo Park Library Foundation, Tarlton Properties, Inc., Meta Platforms, Peninsula Clean Energy, East Palo Alto High School, and Live in Peace.
“It’s the first time that we’re doing this event. There is not a lot being done in our specific community for teens looking into options after high school. We thought it would be a great opportunity to allow them to explore that,” Natalya Jones, Library and Community Service Manager and organizer of the event, said. “I want our students, particularly those in the Menlo Park and East Palo Alto community, to know what their opportunities are.”
Spirited with decorated booths and informative flyers, the Belle Haven Community Campus was lively and loud. Colleges, vocational schools, the military, and other prospective organizations came from all over the Bay Area to inform students about their programs and the different resources available.
Jules Thomas, a student ambassador at Cañada College, shared how community college can help bridge students’ educational journey. “At Cañada, classes are completely free if they live in San Mateo County. We want to show the importance of education because community colleges don’t have enough representation. We want to showcase to the community that we are here,” he said.
“I feel like we’re a forgotten CSU campus, so I love being able to remind students that we exist,” Gabriella Lomeli, Early Assessment Program director at CSU East Bay, said. “I want students to know about the diversity of our campus and our variety of 50 different majors.”
Lomeli advised high school students to visit and research different colleges and career opportunities. “Visit campuses as much as possible. It’s really important to enjoy the vibe of the school and see if it’s fit for you. Reach out to representatives and ask questions,” she said.
Representatives of the U.S. Army also came to recruit prospective members. Staff Sergeant Tanielu, an Army Recruiter and Career Counselor for the Mountain View Recruiting Station, highlighted a different pathway for students. “A lot of people have misconceptions of the army. There are a lot of benefits that come with being a soldier. Service to the country is number one, but we also have a lot of educational benefits such as paying for college.”
Tanielu recommended that students “make sure to get as much research as possible.” “Make sure you educate yourself so you can make the best decision,” she said.
April Jackson, a first-year apprentice in the IBEW Local Union 617, illuminated vocational school options. “A lot of people think of trade as something that you’re not going to make a lot of money from, not going to have a lasting career, or that you won’t have a job. All of those are not true. You’re always going to have a job, especially as an electrician because people need electricity. That’s one of the reasons I decided to go into this type of trade,” she said. Jackson advised students who don’t love school or want to start making money once they graduate to go into trade school.
The Peninsula College Fund spread awareness about the services they provide to high school seniors attending school in San Mateo County and Santa Clara County. “We support first-generation low-income students through their four years of college. We pair them with a mentor, a college, and a career services program coordinator to make sure students are supported academically throughout college. We help build their network, internships, and jobs by the time they graduate,” Nohely Paraza, a college services program coordinator, said. “I strongly believe in higher education and that it should be accessible to everybody. Financially, there should be no barriers.”
Christopher Wardell, the Program Services Coordinator at Cañada College, held a financial aid workshop informing students of different resources available and a guide to FAFSA. “I believe that the more you know, the better you are to be empowered to make decisions that benefit you and your future,” he said. “I hope that students understand that there are options out there that will reduce their educational costs and make their educational goals more realizable.”
At the end of the event, staff announced winners for the raffle where students won bikes, gift cards, a tablet, or application scholarships. One of the big prizes included two tuition support scholarships funded by Live in Peace.
“I’m not super sure on what I want to do in the future. Right now, I have a vague idea of college and what I might want to study, so I think it’s good to see what else is out there,” Melanie DeSantis Carillo, a senior at East Palo Alto Academy, said. “I really like looking at the different courses and just any aid that different colleges have. I didn’t know community college was free for students so that was great to learn.”
All the organizations and colleges shared a common message for high school students confused on their journey after high school: Ask questions, know you’re not alone, use your resources, and take a breath. It is alright to not know what you want to do, no matter the age.
College and Career Day ended with success, with families gaining insight on the diverse opportunities and resources available for students. “This is a kickstart for college and career related events. Based on student feedback, we plan on establishing other training, workshops, and opportunities for teens to be able to come to our libraries and our community centers to get more information,” Jones said.
To learn more about upcoming events from the City of Menlo Park, check out this page.
