RESERVE – More than 300 seniors at East St. John High and West St. John High are better prepared for starting their careers or college thanks to the help of professional counselors who are working with the high school seniors at no cost to the district.

The counselors include trained college and career coaches with Career Compass of Louisiana, a non-profit organization that helps students transition from high school to college and career. The coaches provide support, mentoring, assistance with information on schools that match interests with capabilities and assistance with the actual completion of forms and applications associated with a post-secondary education, including college applications, ACT registration, FAFSA, etc.  

Career Compass is in its second year of providing services to all seniors at both East St. John and West St. John High Schools, according to Superintendent Courtney P. Millet, Ph.D.

She said two career coaches are on hand weekly to assist students with their post-secondary plans.

“Current data shows that 269 seniors at ESJH and 40 seniors at WSJH have been seen at least two times individually by the coaches, with nearly 50 percent of all seniors having been helped three or more times. Additionally, the coaches have been meeting with 11th-grade students at both high schools to begin their transition preparation,” Millet said.

The program’s success has been validated by students, faculty and administrators.

High School senior Fredina Wallace stated in a letter to Millet, “The Career Compass ladies have helped us tremendously. They hunted us down to make sure we take the ACT, sign up for colleges and filed for financial aid. They not only help us with paperwork, but they help us emotionally.”

Millet said Career Compass’ efforts align with the state’s priorities for students.

“It also shows our students that we care about their success,” Millet said. “There are a variety of options available to students to further their education or better equip them for a successful career. We’re glad that Career Compass is working with our students to give them the extra encouragement and knowledge to pursue those opportunities.”

 Career Compass provides career and college coaching services to high school students in 19 school districts across the state. Former high school teachers Kacy Edwards and Julie Scott created Career Compass in 2006 in an effort to provide guidance and increase post-secondary and college enrollment for high school students within and beyond the walls of their individual classrooms.

While teaching for more than 10 years, Edwards and Scott observed that a large number of students graduated without direction for their educational future. They have expanded their organization throughout and have helped more than 25,000 high school seniors create and execute a college success plan by graduation.

This year, Career Compass is working with approximately 7,000 high school seniors across the state of which 99 percent of them will have applied to and will be accepted to a post-secondary school they can successfully attend by the time they graduate in May. The organization pays for all fees on an as needed basis.

Even more impressive is that 80 percent of Career Compass’s cohort graduates tracked is still actively attending a post-secondary school one year after high school graduation.