Nassau Counselor's Association
Volume 59, Issue 4
NewsCAster Fall College Expo SUNY College at Old Westbury Sunday, September 20th, 2015 12:00 Noon to 3:00 PM
SUNY College at Old Westbury’s Clark Athletic Center Old Westbury, N.Y. Want to know who will be there? Want to know more about the program? Visit www.nassaucounselors.org Up to date information about the colleges attending will be posted on this website
Look for the NCA Fall Expo booklet in your local high school in late September
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NCA Officers 2014-2015
High School Scholarships – Linda Weiss lweiss@rvcschools.org
President – Christine Murphy murphy2@adelphi.edu
Holiday Party – Lancene Union lunion@bcl.edu
President Elect – Joy-Anne D’Anca Jdanca81@gmail.com
Kick Off Meeting – Kim Vereline kvereline@molloy.edu
Secretary – Gina Christel christel@optonline.net
LICAC Liaison – Christina D’Angelo Cdangelo@lynbrook.k12.ny.us
Treasurer – Marguerite Lane mlane@molloy.edu
Middle/Elem. School Representative Rosemarie Alario – ralario@freeportschools.org Jennifer Spiteri – Jspiteri@eastrockawayschools.org
Treasurer – Elect – Mary Marquez Bell bellm@oldwestbury.edu
Mini Grants/Stu Agins Award/Parliamentarian Bob Germino – robanthony14@hotmail.com
Membership – Christina D’Angelo cdangelo@lynbrook.k12.ny.us
New Counselor/Intern Workshop Joe Izzo – jizzo@pobschools.org Jason Miller – JAMiller@pobschools.org
Program Chair – Christine Rossi rossic@strose.edu Awards Program coordinator /Administrator of the Year Debbie Roth droth@bmchsd.k12.ny.us CAP Conference PaulaCurci – pcurci@sewanhaka.k12.ny.us Christina Koromi – ckoromi@adelphi.edu
NewsCAster Editor – Sue Moller Smoller@lynbrook.k12.ny.us NewsCAster Business Manager – Kristen Capezza kcapezza@adelphi.edu PAC – Dave Follick david.follick@ncc.edu Retired Counselor Rep & luncheon RonniSmithline – rsmith9560@aol.com
Career Day – Tara Bilicki tbilicki@mail.nasboces.org Karen Cole kcole@levittownschools.com College Counselor of Year – Meghan Schlosser schlosserm@baldwin.k12.ny.us
Send Off Bash – Mona Allen mozamm@verizon.net; Christine Stamberg cgscollege@yahoo.com
College Rep – Dave Follick david.follick@ncc.edu
Spring Expo Michael Hearne – Michael.R.Hearne@gmail.com Nicole Kregler – nkregler@hewlett-woodmere.net
Counselor Advocacy/Hospitality – RonniSmithline rsmith9560@aol.com
Volunteer Committee Chair – Jaclyn Forman Jaclyn.Forman@gmail.com
Counselor Ed Rep/Counselor Ed Scholarships Susan Sklar – ssklar@bellmore-merrick.k12.ny.us
Website Coordinator – ChristineKrut ckrut@nyit.edu
Counselor of Year – Eileen Connolly econnol@bellmore-merrick.k12.ny.us
NewsCAster
Immediate Past President – Dave Follick david.follick@ncc.edu Exemplary Practices – Erin Beirne beirnee@baldwinschools.org Fall Expo Cynthia Rossi – cindyrossi@yahoo.com Frank Pizzardi – pizzardif@oldwestbury.edu High School Rep – Jason Miller JAMiller@pobschools.org
Staff
Editor Sue Moller School Counselor Lynbrook High School 9 Unon Avenue Lynbrook, NY 11563 (516) 887-0215 (516) 887-8079 fax smoller@lynborok.k12.ny.us
Business Manager Kristen E. Capezza Director of Undergraduate, Admissions Adelphi University (516) 877-3021 (516) 877-3039 fax kcapezza@adelphi.edu
To place an ad in the NewsCAster, please contact Kristen Capezza, Business Manager
To place an Ad in the NewsCAster, please contact Kristen Capezza, Business Manager
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PRESIDENT’S
WELCOME
Dear Members, It’s hard to believe that the 2014-2015 year is coming to a close already! It has been a wonderful year for NCA, as we have grown our membership and continued the tradition of offering many quality programs to serve our members, the counseling profession and the students of Nassau County. As I reflect on this past year, I am in awe of all the time and talent that has been generously devoted to the mission of NCA. The Executive Board members and their committees have volunteered countless hours to plan and execute successful programming, keep our members informed, identify and recognize award recipients and keep the business operations of the organization running. For the incredible and selfless work that they do, I want to take a moment to thank the members of the Executive Board and anyone who has volunteered their time to serve on a committee. Additionally, I would like to thank the local colleges and universities, who supported the Nassau Counselors’ Association through sponsoring or hosting programs, including Adelphi University, Briarcliffe College, CUNY Queens College, Molloy College, New York Institute of Technology and SUNY Old Westbury. Without the generosity and partnership of these great institutions, NCA would not be able to successfully run many of our programs. On behalf of the Association, I am very grateful for your support and interest in our work! As we wrap up the year, I want to extend my sincerest congratulations to all of the award recipients. You are an incredibly impressive group and the Association is so proud to tell your story and recognize your accomplishments! Congratulations and well done. In closing, I wish you all a very enjoyable, safe and healthy summer! I look forward to welcoming you back to NCA for another great year in 2015—2016!
Sincerely, Christine Murphy NCA President 2014-2016 Murphy2@adelphi.edu
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NASSAU COUNSELORS’ ASSOCIATION
CALENDAR OF
EVENTS 2014
2014-2015
September
21 - FALL COLLEGE EXPO, SUNY Old Westbury October
14 - Kick Off Meeting, Jericho Terrace November
21 - LICAC, Dowling College December
1 - Holiday Party, Westbury Manor
2015
March
20 - CAP (Counselors, Administrators, Parents Conference), Adelphi 27 - Career Day, Barry Tech 30 - New Counselors Breakfast, NYIT- Old Westbury April
21 - Spring College Expo, Hofstra University May
15 - Elementary/MS Luncheon June
2 - End of Year Bash 9 - Retired Counselor Luncheon
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CAP 2015
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Counselors, Administrators and Parents Conference NCA's annual Counselors, Administrators, Parents (CAP) Conference was held at Adelphi University on Friday, March 20, 2015. The theme of this year’s conference was “The Drive to Save Lives: The Avenues for Help”. The focus was on the prevention, intervention and the treatment of drunk driving, suicide, and drug and alcohol use. The keynote presentation given by Kevin Brooks was nothing short of amazing. He told his personal story in a way that was real, honest, funny, and motivational, among many other things! While Kevin primarily speaks in front of middle and high school students, his message about driving while impaired and distracted as well as depression and suicide really hit home with many of the school counselors in attendance. Two workshops were offered – one was a follow up with Kevin Brooks and the other was a suicide prevention workshop with John Plonski from the Suicide Prevention Center of New York (preventsuicideny.org). John focused on a variety of suicide prevention techniques, assessments for at risk students and steps for a safer school environment. His presentation and additional materials can be found on the NCA website (nassaucounselors.org). There was also a feature presentation from Jamie Bogenshutz and Angela Piccininni from YES Community Counseling Center (yesccc.org). During their presentation, Jamie and Angela discussed current drug trends in Nassau County. They provided tangible information regarding the opiate epidemic that is of great concern and happening right in our backyard. Last but not least, the CAP conference also featured a networking and information fair. Agencies and offices all throughout Nassau County and Long Island provided information and useful giveaways for counselors. A great day was had by all! Special thanks to the CAP Committee – Denise Olson, Bob Germino, and Nick Auriemma – and CAP Co-Chairs – Paula Curci and Christina Koromi – for all the time and effort you put into CAP this year! Save the date for CAP 2016 – Friday, March 18, 2016!
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Executive Board Retirement This is a banner year for our NCA Executive Board and retirement. We wish lots of happiness and health to our board members, Karen Cole, Eileen Connolly, and Susan Sklar, as they embark on the next chapter of their lives. For years Karen had worked tirelessly as our Newscaster editor and has recently begun to work on our Middle School Career Day. Eileen has guided us a past President while closely advising the Counseling Directors of Nassau County. She has been one of the organizers of our annual Nassau/Suffolk Directors of Guidance workshops. Eileen has also spearheaded our Administrator and Counselor of the Year Award programs. In addition to serving as a Past-President, Susan continues to work with our future counselors in training organizing the Counselor/ED Scholarships. In the past, Susan has chaired the New Counselor/Intern Breakfast Workshop, mentoring many new counselors to the trade. She continues to be a co-presenter at our Spring College Fair hosting the seminar for Students With Special Needs. We applaud our retirees and will always cherish all the work they have done for our organization. But the best is yet to come! Now that they will no longer have their day jobs, they will be able to lend even more time and expertise to the Nassau Counselors’ Association!
Congratulations to all
Eileen Connolly
Karen Cole
Susan Sklar
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2015 SPRING COLLEGE EXPO “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” ALBERT SCHWEITZER
April 21, 2015 was a great day for high school students and their families from the tri-state area and beyond! The Nassau Counselors’ Association proudly presented over 290 colleges, universities, and post-high school education programs in the comfort and convenience of the Hofstra University Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex. As in years past, students were given the opportunity to speak with college representatives from across the country, and learn about several important topics during various workshops throughout the night. One notable addition to this year’s event was the participation of Mr. Kevin Kentish from the United Negro College Fund, speaking to attendees about Historically-Black Colleges. Our association is proud to report the attendance of over 2,700+ students and families. The continued efforts of all our members, friends, interns, retirees, working counselors and administrators who volunteer year in and year out are the reason that this event continues to be such a great success and valuable resource to the community at large. As has been the case for the last few years, we were able to use the College Automation System to streamline the process of connecting students with information from various colleges. Through the use of personal barcodes that students were able to sign up for before and during the event, colleges were able to scan these barcodes to obtain the student’s information, eliminating the need for the student to fill out inquiry cards at the multiple colleges of their interest. Since the introduction of this system a few years ago, we have seen more and more students take notice of the barcode information in our event brochures and printed materials, and they come to the Expo with a barcode already in-hand. We look forward to continued success with this system since it is our goal to make this college Expo an even more effective opportunity for students, their families, and school representatives to connect and share information. We would be mistaken if we did not acknowledge the real reasons as to why this event is at such a high level of success. The tireless efforts of our 60+ volunteers are what motivate our guests to name this event the most valuable in all of those offered throughout the college process. continued on page [11]
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Whether it was crowd control, College Search assistance, or distributing floor plans, every person played an insurmountable role! Special thanks goes to Jaclyn Forman of Locust Valley High School for tackling the overwhelming task of obtaining volunteers for the varying roles of the Expo, and as a result, bringing 60+ volunteers to help in all aspects of the fair!In the same breath, we would like to thank JoyAnne D’Anca for coming through in a clutch and assisting with volunteers at the event. We would also like to thank the presenters who educated our guests on important concepts such as Financial Aid, NCAA Regulations, Highly Selective Colleges, and Students with Special Needs. Gloria Schetty-Plante of Laurel Publications washelpful as always in her distribution and collection of our College Automation Scanners, and Ryan Watson of Hofstra Facilities and his crew were a pleasure to work alongside. No matter your depth of involvement or the time you spent with us, please know that the Spring Expo committee and the Nassau Counselors’ Association as a whole are truly appreciative and grateful for your time and contributions to this wonderful event. As school counselors and higher education professionals, we strive to create an event each year that will enrich not only the lives of students, but also that will add value to the Nassau Counselors Association. We aim to empower students to make sense of all of the opportunities available in the post-high school educational landscape, as well as lay out the steps to achieving success and lasting goals. It is with great pleasure that we extend our gratitude and appreciation to our NCA Executive Board, members and friends for their continued support, willingness to take risks and ability to change with the times as we try to make each Spring College Expo better than the one before it. We look forward to next year’s 2016 Spring College Expo, which will be held on Tuesday, April 19th, 2016. Sincerely, Michael Hearne and Nicole Kregler Spring Expo Co-Chairpersons
Michael Hearne and Nicole Kregler
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Career Day Recap The Nassau Counselors’ Association Career Day 2015 for 8th grade students was held on Friday, February 27, 2015 at Nassau BOCES Joseph M. Barry, Career and Technical Education Center in Westbury from 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. We were happy to host 90 eighth grade students from North Shore Middle School, South Huntington Middle School and East Meadow Middle School along with their guidance counselors and chaperones. While it is clear that the large majority of 8th graders are light years away from choosing a career, it is the opportune time to stimulate their minds with the many varied opportunities that lie ahead. Career Day 2015 was able to provide students with a realistic idea of the preparation and education required for a variety of careers. Each student visited two career areas which were chosen in advance. They had the opportunity to speak with students who are currently preparing for the career and to interact with professionals from a variety of careers including Aviation, Culinary, Media Arts, Early Childhood Education, Medical Professions, Automotive Technology, Construction/Trades, Law Enforcement, Animal Careers, Cosmetology/Barbering, and Fashion Industry. The students were able to hear from presenters in small group settings and have a “hands-on experience” in some of the various careers that they choose to visit. In addition to visiting a selection of career areas, students had the opportunity to hear from representatives from five local colleges; Nassau Community College, Adelphi University, NYIT, Dowling College and Molloy College. The college representatives spoke to the students about entrance requirements, academic programs available and the importance of choosing a strong academic program in high school in order to be prepared for the rigor of collegiate course work. The students were enthusiastic and engaged as evidenced by the variety of questions they had for the college representatives. The morning culminated in a pizza lunch which was prepared by the Culinary students at BOCES Barry Tech. The success of this event was a result of the hospitality of BOCES Barry Tech and their staff along with the participation of the local colleges who sent their staff to speak with the students. Thanks to all who made the day possible.
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CONGRATULATIONS! On behalf of the Nassau Counselors Association Joseph Bruzzese High School Scholarship Committee, we would like to congratulate the following students:
Alexander Boss South Side High School Project: Covert Strong- Health and Fitness Community Service Project Nominating Counselor: Marcy Pedone
Kevin Brennan John F. Kennedy High School, Plainview-Old Bethpage Project: Stacy’s Warriors Nominating Counselor: Jessica Baker
Harold Ekeh Elmont High School Project: EXCEL College Prep Program Nominating Counselor: Sean O’Brien
Winnie Ho Syosset High School Project: Literacy for Life Program Nominating Counselor: Deborah Contino
Zoey Lee Locust Valley High School Project: Cambodia Outreach Work Nominating Counselor: Jillian Celli/Jackie Forman
Priya Shah Bethpage High School Project: Community Outreach Responsibility Program Nominating Counselor: Jennifer Payne
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I would like to thank the following NCA members for volunteering to serve on the High School Scholarship Committee: Debbie Albano Seltenreich-School Counselor, Queens High School of Teaching Vincent Angrisani Executive Director of Enrollment, Queens College David Follick Dean of Admissions, Nassau Community College Joanna Forgione Associate Director of Admissions, Molloy College Joe Izzo School Counselor, Plainview-Old Bethpage John F Kennedy High School Andrea Klaff Admissions Representative, SUNY Old Westbury Meghan Schlosser School Counselor, Baldwin High School
Congratulations to all of the recipients, best of luck! Linda Weiss, Chairperson of the NCA Scholarship Committee South Side High School
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Congratulations to the 2015-2016 Elected Executive Board Members: Christine Murphy - President Joy-Anne D'Anca - President-Elect Gina Christel - Secretary Mary Marquez Bell - Treasurer Membership - Christina D'Angelo Program Chair - Christine Rossi Christine Murphy, Joy-Anne D’Anca, Gina Christel, Christne Rossi, Christina D’Angelo, and past-president David Follick
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New Counselor
Breakfast Recap
On March 30, 2014, the Nassau Counselors’ Association held a New Counselor Breakfast at the New York Institute of Technology. The format was a panel consisting of Dave Follick, Dean of Admissions at Nassau Community College, Joy-Anne D’Anca, Guidance Coordinator in the Long Beach City School District, and Cristina Rivas-Laline, School Counselor at POBJFK High School. The panel received terrific feedback, and was insightful in answering questions posed by the attendees and facilitators. The wealth of advice offered was also well received by the eager attendees who are in the final stretch of completing their first year as new school and college admissions counselors.
A huge thank you goes out to the distinguished panel, which generously gave of their time and talent to help make the event a success. Another debt of gratitude goes out to our friends at NYIT, which donated a beautiful venue and delicious breakfast on that cold morning in March. Each year presents a golden opportunity for the NCA to provide support for the newest members of our organization. The tradition has been to provide workshops alternating annually for interns and new counselors. Joseph Izzo and Jason Miller have been fortunate to facilitate this event, and it’s a privilege to provide any assistance to some of our most eager, conscientious members. Long after we’re all gone, the profession will endure. It’s events like the New Counselor Breakfast which help ensure a healthy future for all in our field of work.
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NYSACAC held a Professional Development Forum at Nassau Community College on April 24, 2015. The topic of the forum was “Hot Topics in College Admissions” and included various round-table discussions, each exploring the different factors affecting professionals in the field as they work with students throughout the college search and application process. Topics were held on: - The Dos and Don’ts of College Applications - Building Relationships between Admissions and Guidance Communities - Social Media in College Admissions - Looking Past the Sticker Price - Current Trends in the College Application Process The turnout of the event was great and the attendees found it very valuable to be able to discuss these “hot topics” in college admission as well as network with fellow colleagues both at the high school and college level.
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Below are some of the notes from the event: TOPIC: Current Trends in the College Admission Process Facilitated by Greg Wasserman (The Wheatley School) and Jessica Kowalewski Dietrich (Ithaca College) • Students are applying to more schools than in the past o Average seems to be 9-10 schools, but some students have applied to more than 30, wanting to “play the averages” o Online applications – Common Application, as well as “fast apps” or “VIP Applications” where essays or letters of recommendation may not even be required. In turn causing artificial inflation of applicant pool. • Common Application Changes o Will the main essay now become optional? o The question of what other colleges/universities a student is applying to can become a mandatory question on the Common App. Raises ethical concerns. An open ended question can allow students to declare their counselor advised them not to answer this question.
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• Demonstrated Interest used by more colleges and universities to administer admission decisions a. Guidance/Independent counselors are now advising students to demonstrate interest whether the college/university discloses they use interest or not b. Desire among the guidance/independent counselor community to have a centralized place to see if a particular college/university does in fact use interest demonstrated c. Does strategy on the student’s part then outweigh sincerity? Students are now showing interest simply to show it and give themselves an upper hand in the admission process d. Advise students to be careful with “copy and paste” e-mails – end up using incorrect information to wrong schools/college representatives • Students are applying earlier a. Will this impact college representatives in relation to the timing of their recruitment travel (e.g. spring high school visits vs. fall high school visits) b. Timeline of application process is strongly related to the culture of the high school, and will vary dramatically from school to school c. Early Decision, Early Action, Regular Admission - Some schools are getting rid of Early Action (Bentley University will do so this year). Is there really a strategic advantage to applying earlier? Are we then catering to those high schools that have a culture of searching for schools earlier in high school career? d. Some colleges/universities are accepting applications and administering admission decisions as early as mid-August – creating an artificial “panic” that students are late when in reality it’s quite early. • Instant Decision Days becoming more popular, especially among local Long Island college/university options a. Not looking at essay/subjective features of the application as heavily as a result. Does this do a disservice to the student? b. Concern on the college end – how are these students yielding vs. those who go through the traditional application process? • More disciplinary issues disclosed this year than in past years a. Both self-reported and disclosed by guidance counselors b. Colleges are reaching out more to the high schools to inquire about disciplinary issues some high schools’ policies prohibit them from speaking about past disciplinary issues and have to advise college to speak to student directly continued on page [28]
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• Release of the new SAT/Testing a. Registrations for the May 2015 SAT are significantly lower than in past years. Is this because of the release of the new SAT? b. Encouragement of colleges/universities to calm some of the panic and fears. Would like to see more messaging from post-secondary institutions that they will look at the old and new SAT equally. c. Concern over release of new SAT scores timeline – anticipated that March 2016 scores won’t be available until mid-May the earliest d. More students looking at the ACT e. Less guidance/independent counselors are pushing the SAT II unless they’re considering very specialized programs
• More January/Spring Admit decisions from colleges a. Could be a very positive option for some students – challenge lies in advising student/families on how to effectively use the fall semester, and how they can positively join a college community later than traditional fall students • FAFSA Order a. Is it ethical to use this order to determine if a student is more interested in a college because it is listed at first or second on FAFSA? b. Colleges/universities will be listed randomly in the future to prevent this
• Transparency of the College Admission Process at particular schools a. Frustrations over how transparent (or lack of transparency) some colleges/universities are as related to how they make their admission decisions b. Concerns over admission decisions at the same institution varying dramatically from year to year and trying to understand why these changes occurred to appropriately counsel students. c. Some colleges/universities are open to “Counselor Calls” where a guidance/independent counselor can speak to their college representative mid-way through the application review period to see where their applicants are in the process.
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TOPIC: Looking Past the Sticker Price Facilitated Dave Follick (NCC) and Linda Weiss (South Side HS) a. Concept of “out of pocket” vs sticker price – working with families to help them understand the financial aid process i. How to advise students and parents on cost ii. Net Price Calculator iii. Resources available to students and parents (outside resources like fastweb.com; local scholarships, etc) b. Types of Aid available i. Scholarships ii. Loans/Grants/Work study iii. FAFSA & CSS Profile c. Not all loans are bad – how to advise on loans i. Investment in future d. Best opportunities for scholarships (apply by deadline, contacting Admissions or Financial Aid)
Comments: Some students are overwhelmed by the process- a step by step guide would be very helpful to school counselors
Community college as a starting point is an option, students should consider CUNY and SUNY schools
Net price calculator will vary from one school to the next
Parents and students can appeal the financial offer: typically a process in place- the admissions counselor for the region can be helpful vs the financial aid office. For many colleges/universities- they will “put their best foot forward” and the initial offer is their bestthey will not re-negotiate. Students can produce other financial aid letters from other institutions as part of the appeal process. No reason not to try.
Students families should fill out the FAFSA no matter what and make sure it is correct (ie.the correct year) update it as appropriate Sources of scholarships: Fastweb, Naviance, Sallymae, College Board, ACT, startheregetthere.org,brokescholar.com,local/community scholarships, religious institutions, unions and institutional- based scholarships and grants
Schools should try and hold their Financial Aid Nights in the Fall- reach out to local collegesthey are happy to help
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TOPIC: Social Media in College Admissions Facilitated by Mike Dipiazza (College of New Rochelle) and Sue Moller (Lynbrook High School) a. Communication with students and parents both from the High School and College side i. High Schools using Naviance to email parents and students information (no longer need for Paper Newsletters) ii. Colleges using social media sites such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to connect and engage with students b. Using Social Media as outreach, engagement, and interaction iii. Colleges using social media to engage students with events such as “giveaways” by hash-tagging (#College_Name_2015) a certain key word at admissions events on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram iv. Colleges use social media to also post positive aspects going on around campus as well as videos- using social media as promotional device (ie. “this great event just happened on campus” or “Congrats to our Robotics team who just took first place in competition, here’s a video”)- where they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to promote smaller/ intimate events v. Colleges are using social media to supplement what they’re already doing- and by putting things like QR codes on print materials with links to Video’s or Vine’s vi. Colleges can monitor when prospective students are looking around their websites, and colleges can track use and watch who’s posting. The social media team monitors is and will share with Admissions as appropriate vii. Colleges now create “XYZ class of 2015” pages that are exclusive social media pages for the admitted students of their schools so they can help monitor discussions in a secure environment linked through Facebook viii. Some High Schools are using Twitter and Facebook pages to get across information to their students and families c. Issues or concerns with the use of social media ix. High Schools do not have a dedicated staff/team to monitor that a school’s social media account is being used properly- whereas a College does have a dedicated team/person to monitor x. Students can be “caught” being inappropriate on social media, which can in turn have an effect on their admissions decision or recruitment result in sports (ie, a coach sees anything inappropriate- such as drinking or smoking, they may not recruit that student) continued on page [31]
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Comments: Encouraging high school students to set up an APPROPIATE college email account address- one that is used just for anything admissions related (some suggested it being a new account that both the student and parent can monitor for important emails) Students can also use social media to their advantage by putting videos of themselves doing their talent online, and sending that to the admissions reps
Students should not only be aware of what they are posting, but what their friends are posting (and tagging) them in- which in turn can reflect poorly back on them Tell applicants to “Google yourself” to see what comes up. If you can find it, so can the college admissions office
TOPIC: Building Relationships between Admissions and Guidance Communities Facilitated by Kristen Capezza (Adelphi University) and Meghan Schlosser (Baldwin High School) It is not surprising that one of the most valued pieces of the admissions process as viewed by professionals is the relationship between admission and guidance communities. In recent discussions at the Nassau County regional professional development forum hosted by the New York State Association for College Admission Counseling at Nassau Community College, colleagues from both sides of the desk joined together to discuss the process of building these relationships to better serve our students. As thoughts and opinions were shared, it became clear that each group of professionals had clear recommendations to better enhance existing relationships. Among the recommendations were the following: • Colleges: Look to host professional development events on campus for your counseling community on the local Superintendent Conference Days as many counselors already earmark that day as a day to learn, grow, and network. • School counselors: Allow colleges to visit the school and arrange for spring meetings with admitted students. Similar to a fall high school visit, spring meetings would allow for an engaging touch point with admitted students whose questions have likely changed since the fall.
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• Colleges: Hold events for counselors! Fly in tours, bus tours, luncheons...you name it, counselors are ready and willing to learn from your staff! Some of the most effective events have been when multiple colleges come together and offer a myriad of visits as part of one tour. • School counselors: Invest in a uniform platform for visit scheduling. With everyone's busy schedules, playing phone or email tag can often become frustrating for all those involved. Look to transparent schedulers (such as signupgenius.com) to allow college representatives to schedule their visit based on a digital calendar of real-time, available appointments. • Colleges: Do not bring paper counselor packs! While the information is appreciated, unfortunately time to read and space to store the information are limited, thus diminishing the effectiveness of counselor packs. Instead, look to digital ways of delivering the information. 3D visits, virtual tours, pens with websites, and unique informational gifts are often more effective in delivering information. While this is a mere sampling of recommendations, it is certain that with effective communication between both communities, improvements may lead to enhanced experiences and ultimately improved relationships. After all, building relationships ultimately results in a community of better served students!
NewsCAster June 2015
Board
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Blurbs
NCA: Christine has been a member of the Board for 7 years and has served in multiple positions including Co-chair for the New Counselor Breakfast, membership chair and board secretary before her current position managing the NCA Website Ronni currently holds the position of Counselor/Educator Retiree.
Christine Krut
Website Coordinator
School: Christine is the Director of Systems Integration for New York Institute of technology where she has worked in various admissions positions for the past 14 years . Education: Christine holds a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies and a M.S. in School Counseling from New York Institute of Technology.
NCA: Erin Beirne has been a member of the Board for four years and has served in the positions of Send-Off Co Chair and Fall Expo Committee before her current position as Exemplary Practices Award Chair. School: Erin has worked as a school counselor at Baldwin Senior High School for the past six years.
Erin Beirne
Exemplary Practices Award Chair
Education: Erin holds a B.S. in History and Secondary Education from University of Scranton, a M.S. Ed. in School Counseling from LIU Post and a Certificate in School Culture and Violence from the University of Laverne. She is currently working on her College Counseling Certificate from the UCLA Extension Program.
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NewsCAster June 2015
34 NCA: NCA member for over 25 years. Member of the Executive Board since 2006-2008. She has also been the co-chair of the Fall College Expo for the past 8 years and served on the board in various capacities: Chair of Exemplary Practices, Secretary, and President in 2006-2008. She was awarded Counselor of the year in 2007.
Cynthia Rossi
Co-chair of the Fall College Expo
School: Started her career as a School Counselor at Elmont Memorial High School and was promoted to Chair of Pupil Personnel Services. She also worked as Director of Guidance in the Smithtown, Mineola and Carle Place School Districts before retiring 2 years ago. Education: Received her B.A. degree in Psychology from SUNY Old Westbury, her MS Ed in School Counseling and Professional Diploma in Counseling from St. John’s University and Advanced Certification in School District Administration from LIU - C.W. Post. She happily volunteers on various NCA committees and enjoys her time traveling with her husband John
NCA: Christina has been a member of the board for the past two years. She currently serves as a Co-Chair of the CAP Conference. She has been a member of NCA since 2009 and a member of the fall expo and CAP committees. School: Christina currently serves as an Associate Director of Admissions at Adelphi University where she primarily works with transfer students.
Christina Koromi
CAP Conference Co-Chair
Education: Christina holds a BA in Psychology from Stony Brook University and an MA in Higher and Postsecondary Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.
NCA: : Jason has served the NCA as a board member for the past three years. Serving as the High School Representative and as a co-chair of the New Counselor/Intern breakfast. School: Jason is a School Counselor at Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK High School and has worked there for the past seven years. Prior to being a school counselor Jason worked in college admissions at both the University at Buffalo and Long Island University.
Jason Miller
High School Representative, Co-Chair New Counselor Workshop
Education: Jason holds a BA from the University at Buffalo and an MS in School Counseling from Long Island University.
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NewsCAster June 2015
35 NCA: Christine has been a member of the board for three years and serves as co-chair for the End of the Year Bash and Awards Ceremony. School: Christine has been a school counselor for nine years in Queens and is currently the College Counselor at Martin Van Buren High School. In 2014, she was the proud recipient of the New York City Department of Education Counselor of the Year Award.
Christine Stamberg
Education: Christine holds a BA from Stony Brook University and a MS in Counselor Education from Queens College.
Co-Chair End of the Year Bash
NCA: Susan Sklar has been a member of the Executive Board and NCA for over 20 years. She has served as Past President, Secretary, Program Chair, MS Representative, Career Day Chair, PAC, New Counselor & Intern Co-Chair, Counselor Ed. Representative and Chair of Counselor Ed. Scholarship Committee.
Susan Sklar
Chair of Counselor Ed. Scholarships, Counselor Ed. Representative
School: Susan is the Chairperson of Pupil Personnel Services and Special Education at Grand Avenue M.S. in Bellmore for 16 years. Prior to that, she was a Guidance Counselor, a Learning Specialist, Teacher and Psychometrician. Education: Susan holds a B.A, an M.S., an Advanced Certificate in School Counseling, and SAS & SDA Certifications.
Greetings NCA members! My name is Christina D’Angelo and I am the Membership Chair for the Nassau Counselors’ Association. As the year is wrapping up, I encourage you to renew your membership for the upcoming school year. We want you back to share in all that the 2015-2016 academic year has to offer. Please send the application and membership dues to the address provided on the form. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at cdangelo@lynbrook.k12.ny.us. I hope you have a restful and relaxing summer! Sincerely, Christina D’Angelo Membership Chair Nassau Counselors’ Association
NewsCAster MARCH 2015
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NASSAU COUNSELORS' ASSOCIATION 2015/16 MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION (Please Print or Type)
Name
CURRENT POSITION:
INSTITUTION: WORK SETTING:
ELEM. SCH.
MIDDLE/JUNIOR HIGH SCH.
SENIOR H.S.
COLLEGE
PROPRIETARY SCHOOL
AGENCY/OTHER
GRADUATE STUDENT
BUSINESS ADDRESS: CITY
ZIP+4
STATE
BUS. PHONE:
HOME ADDRESS: CITY
STATE
BUS. PHONE: PLEASE SEND MAIL TO MY:
HOME ADDRESS
BUSINESS ADDRESS
YEAR YOU FIRST BECAME A MEMBER OF NCA? MEMBERSHIP CLASSIFICATION:
(See descriptions below)
REGULAR ($30.00)
ASSOCIATE ($30.00)
LIFE (No Fee) Year granted
RETIRED ($20.00)
IF RETIRED, PREVIOUS POSITION/INSTITUTION
STUDENT ($20.00)
IF STUDENT, PLEASE HAVE AN INSTRUCTOR COMPLETE NEXT SECTION
I hereby certify that this applicant is a matriculated student Signature of Instructor ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP DUES AND MEMBERSHIP CLASSIFICATIONS $30.00
Any person whose professional work responsibilities are in the area of counseling and/or human development services and either resides or is employed in Nassau County of New York State is eligible to become a Regular Member.
ASSOCIATE $30.00
Any person who does not qualify for Regular Membership, but who is professionally associated in the field of counseling is eligible to become an Associate Member.
RETIRED
$20.00
Any person who was a regular member and who retired from a position in the field of counseling and/or human development services is eligible to become a Retired Member.
STUDENT
$20.00
Any person not eligible for Regular membership and who is a graduate student preparing for professional work in the field of counseling and/or human development services is eligible to become a Student Member.
LIFETIME
N/A
Any person who received lifetime membership, please make sure to send in your current information yearly.
REGULAR
PAYABLE TO NASSAU COUNSELORS’ ASSOCIATION, INC. TO: NASSAU COUNSELORS’ ASSOCIATION, EXECUTIVE OFFICE, 708 PEASE LANE, WEST ISLIP, NY 11795 Any questions, please email the NCA Membership Chair at Membership@NassauCounselors.org