College Advising Helps Angels’ Futures Take Shape
The new College Advising center opened and has already welcomed a few colleges. (Photo Claire Price)
October 14, 2018
College is most high schoolers’ end goal. St. Joe is, in fact, a college preparatory school, and what we do here prepares us for our next step in education. With that, the college process is a big deal: exciting and often overwhelming and intense; however, St. Joe’s new College Advising department is here to help all of us, especially seniors.
By renovating the second floor of the old convent into a new space dedicated to college advising, this program will be a resource for every student to learn more about the college process, applications, scholarships, and schools themselves. There have already been training and information sessions, such as regarding Naviance, an online college search and application program, and paying for college. Many colleges and universities have visited for a good amount of time for admission representatives to talk about the schools and prospective students to ask questions and receive materials and resources from the school, and the list of schools visiting St. Joe keeps growing!
The best part about this program is the new college advisors, Mrs. Trisha Hasbrouck and Ms. Christine Holladay.
Mrs. Hasbrouck has been in education for 16 years, including teaching English, speech, and journalism for 12 years and working in college admissions and counseling for 14 years. She graduated from UT Austin and has since worked all over the world, such as directing college readiness programs at private schools in Morocco and China.
Ms. Holladay is originally from Columbus, Ohio, and, in 2002, came to St. Louis to complete her B.A. in Psychology and Theatre at Washington University. She interned at the Catholic Student Center at Washington University, got her Master’s degree, and taught fifth grade in inner-city Baltimore. She is a member of Operation T.E.A.C.H. (Teachers Enlisted to Advance Catholic Heritage), and she lived with others dedicated to education and social justice. Ms. Holladay worked on the northside of St. Louis City in schools with the Nativity Miguel model of education as a Graduate Support Director. She is also a lay associate of the Sisters of St. Joseph – Carondelet, which makes St. Joe a great fit for her new job!
“College advising is about finding the right fit for each student through a personalized approach,” Mrs. Hasbrock said. “What works for one person may not always work for another, so taking the time to really get to know each girl is important.”
She also has expressed her excitement for the new College Advising and Resource Center and knows students, faculty and parents will find it “amazing.”
“It will house various meeting spaces, lounge areas, computer workstations, and individual offices for students and college reps. It will be a wonderful location for hosting events as well as for individual and family advising sessions.”
St. Joe can’t wait for this space to open up and for the first senior class to benefit from it!
