APS College & Career Centers Prepare Students for Postsecondary Success
Posted on 10/10/2024
Aurora Public Schools is celebrating a decade of providing phenomenal support for its high school students through the district’s College and Career Centers. The first center opened at Hinkley High School in 2014. Over the next several years, APS expanded the centers to all seven APS high schools.
Inside the centers, students will find experienced and dedicated advisors who can help them determine the path they want to take after high school. Advisors like Gateway High School’s Asawer Alhilo expertly help students achieve their goals, whether they want to go to college, technical school, serve in the military or immediately enter the workforce.
October is College and Career Success Month and Alhilo said it’s a great time for students to explore their school’s center – especially if they haven’t visited before. “A part of being successful is going into the spaces that you are uncomfortable,” she said. Alhilo encourages students to start visiting the center as freshmen and then increase their visits as they get closer to their senior year.
Current Gateway senior Savannah Da Silva has set a goal to start her own business as a professional hair stylist. She said she’s grateful Alhilo helped her get into the cosmetology program at APS’s Pickens Technical College. “I definitely would not be where I am and wouldn’t be as prepared as I am without the advisors here,” Savannah said.
Fellow Gateway senior Sherman Semujju has a passion for photography and luxury clothing design. He plans to attend Colorado State University after graduation and echoes how helpful Alhilo has been in helping him prepare for college. “I love coming to the center,” Semujju said. “It’s just a very useful tool for me.”
Alhilo enjoys helping students find what they’re passionate about and then developing a financial plan to make their career path a reality. She helps students with scholarship applications and with filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). FAFSA applications will be available starting on December 1, but Alhilo said students can create an online account now so they’re ready to apply this winter.
Another thing to mark on your calendar this month is the Colorado “Free Application Days” where students can apply to Colorado’s public colleges and universities for free. Students must submit their applications from October 15-17 to be eligible for the fee waiver. So, remember to start early and get those applications in soon!