Students at Monterey High School are now receiving guidance on a future career path due to assistance from a new career advisor.
The advisor part of a partnership with Advise Tennessee. Monterey High School Principal Bree Wheeler said students navigate the process of applying to college, securing financial aid, and exploring career pathways. Wheeler said having a career advisor can unlock opportunities for students at Monterey.
“Some students aren’t even aware of the financial aid they can get,” Wheeler said. “They may not think that college is an option for them. So being able to show them the options that are out there and help them, you know, be able to get where they want to go.”
Wheeler said it can be tough for families to set their child up for a career path after high school. Wheeler said Monterey High School wants students to succeed beyond High School.
“We want to make sure when they leave us, they are going to be great citizens of the community and productive in their endeavors, and just be able to start their own families, provide for their own families, and be that role model for the next generation,” Wheeler said.
Wheeler said Monterey High School was one of 30 schools selected to have a partnership with Advise Tennessee. Wheeler said she believes Monterey High School was selected because many students at Monterey are first-generation college students. Wheeler said she wanted a career advisor at Monterey High School after noticing that other schools had a higher FAFSA success rate than Monterey High School.
“I was looking into other schools and their success rate on that, and just thinking, oh my goodness, how are their success rates higher, and looked into it a little bit more and found that they had partnered with different organizations, such as Advise Tennessee, that had in-house counselors that kind of helped just seniors with FAFSA and Tennessee Promise.”
Wheeler said the school has received great feedback about the partnership so far. Career Advisor Elizabeth Black said that in just two weeks, all but two seniors have submitted Tennessee Promise letters to help students acquire the Hope Scholarship.
