From college to career: Panel shares essential insights with CSF Scholars
“Panelists: thinking back to high school…Did you ever picture yourself in your current career field?” inquires CSF Advisor and panel moderator Keyla Palominos-Hernandez, otherwise known as “Ms. KP” to her students at Kentridge High School in Kent.
“I had two choices…I could join the Army or go to college. After graduating high school, I found myself looking after my grandmother,” remembers panelist Pelenita Tuupo. “Taking care of her inspired me to go into the medical field, where I am today.”
Students know to stop by CSF-hosted events like Ms. KP’s recent Kentridge career panel to gain valuable insights and inspiration. Her confident, welcoming personality, and the promise of lunchtime pizza and good snacks have brought more than 90 students to pop in and hear from a panel of CSF alumni and other volunteers about their chosen career paths.
Ms. KP digs deeper with the panel: “Now, how did your educational experience in college help you achieve the career you selected? And, be real with us.”
CSF alum and panelist Shelby Swofford instantly responds: “100 Percent [college helped me achieve my career]!…The group experiences, public speaking opportunities, presenting…writing business cases––this is real life. This is what you are actually going to do in your job.”
In early 2022, CSF partnered with Washington state and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to create the Rally for College initiative—a significant expansion of CSF’s work to support all students in the schools we serve. Rally for College provides all students with expanded access to college and career planning and advising support. These services, offered in close partnership with schools, increase graduation rates and enable more students to successfully enroll in college immediately following high school graduation.
52% of CSF Scholars in Washington state directly enrolled in college vs. 37% of their low-income peers.*
Ms. KP has worked to build trusting relationships with the 11th and 12th graders at Kentridge over the last year. Whether it’s encouraging students to apply for CSF’s Leadership 1000 Scholarship, guiding them through FAFSA/WASFA forms or helping them connect the dots from college-to-career, Ms. KP takes great pride in getting young people ready for life after high school.
“Just letting my students know there are options changes their mindsets. I see the shift that happens,” says Ms. KP. “They start showing up more at events, they stop by my office to check-in. Whether it’s going to a 4-year-college, community college or working towards a certificate at a technical college: I want all students to know there is a path––even if it isn’t linear––for them after graduation. They can continue their education and we are here to support them on their journey.”
The panelists hail from careers in human resources, finance and business, to architecture and academia. The adults, many of whom are first-generation college graduates, range from being relatively new in their positions to having more than 20 years in their fields. Many have had experiences changing jobs and negotiating salaries––which can be uncomfortable topics to broach when interviewing and all the more essential to transparently discuss with students before they enter the workforce.
“How much money, if it’s okay to ask, do you make in your careers?” inquires a curious student.
“I am making $10,000 more than when I first started a year ago,” offers panelist Fidel Ramos Viveros, an architectural associate who received his master’s degree in 2021 and is working towards his architecture license.
A few panelists knew their major, their future career field and exactly what kind of job they wanted––even before setting foot on their college campus. But, even more admitted they didn’t really know until after being in college for a while what they were truly passionate about.
“My parents decided that, as a woman, I should go to college and become a teacher. So, that’s what I did. But as I was graduating, I decided that I didn’t love teaching. Instead, I went into a field called Human Resources,” recalls panelist Bhavani Murugiah. “I liked that it gave me the opportunity to work with people and also ensure that people were treated equitably, fairly. I love what I do. When you find something that you love to do, it doesn’t feel like work.”
Thank you to CJ Chen, Lilia Foma’i, Stephanie Graves, Bhavani Murugiah, Fidel Ramos Viveros, Shelby Swofford and Pelenita Tuupo for sharing your words of wisdom with CSF Scholars. They will be walking in your college footsteps very soon!
Read more about CSF’s Rally for College initiative in our 2022-23 Annual Report to the Community.
*Education Research & Data Center “High School Graduate Outcomes” dashboard, updated February 2023. Data is for low-income students who graduated high school in 2021 and enrolled in college within one year. High School Benchmarks October 27, 2022