Christian Brothers High School • Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve
A MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE COUNSELING
MARCH 2016
SPRING SEMESTER Christian Brothers High School Monthly Newsletter
www.cbhs-sacramento.org
that enables me to give our students a great perspective about how fickle and frustrating the process can be. Over the past six years, I have worked with the other counselors to update and upgrade the seven academic and college evenings our students and families experience over their four years. Our goal is to make sure parents are well informed on every topic from mental health and wellness, to academic planning and the college application process. Our evening events allow us, as counselors, to bridge the communication gap that can sometimes exist between parents and students, and to help calm some of the anxieties that come with figuring out the proper high school preparation to lead the way toward the perfect post-graduation institution. As the Director of College Counseling, I think my favorite evening event is the Transition to College Night we offer every April to our senior parents and students. Our current CB parents have the opportunity to speak with parents of our alums who are now freshmen in college to gain insight on what that first year of life is like without their son or daughter being home every night. Conversely, our senior students get to speak with CB grads who are college freshmen to learn what that first year as a college student is really like. The collaboration and family-like vibe our department exudes is what makes our students feel important and comfortable. If I (and we as a department) have accomplished anything, it is that none of our Christian Brothers students will ever feel like they don’t matter.
INSIDE
The high school I attended growing up was a mediumsize public institution in Southern California. In general I had a great high school experience with one exception: the Counseling Department. I had five different school counselors in my four years. I cannot recall a single evening event or classroom presentation discussing academic preparation, college planning, or how to complete the college application process. We were basically on our own. I was told to get a good night’s sleep and have a solid breakfast to prepare for the SAT, and I had to ask a virtual stranger to write me letters of recommendation. I vividly remember walking into my senior counselor’s office, introducing myself, and requesting a letter to four private universities. I felt powerless and afraid, as if I didn’t matter. How I could possibly be painted in a positive light in those letters of recommendation to help me get into my dream schools? This unfortunate experience had a big impact on my decision to become a school counselor and to specifically focus on college counseling. I didn’t want students to ever have to feel as helpless as I did throughout my four years of high school. The consistency, compassion, and dedication we at Christian Brothers feel for our students is like nothing I’ve experienced before. Whether it is our evening academic and college nights, our classroom presentations, or our visibility on campus as retreat leaders, coaches, or program directors, our Counseling Department is something special. I never had the opportunity to sit down with my parents and a counselor to make a list of schools that would be a “fit” for me; and looking back, I’m pretty perplexed on how and why I decided to apply to the 11 schools I chose. The road that eventually led me to UC Davis was definitely not what I’d planned, but in hindsight,
Melissa McClellan Director of College Counseling
Counseling and Guidance Lasallian Student Life - Christian Service - Campus Ministry - Student Activities Talon Corner
International Student Program Athletics Media Visual and Performing Arts Vocations Falcon Fun Run Falcon Family Faces