Gateway school counselors focused on helping students meet career goals

National School Counseling Week was Feb. 3 - 7, and this year’s theme was “Helping Students Thrive.”

Promoted by the American School Counselor Association, the week highlights the important role counselors play in helping students succeed in school and plan for life after graduation.

To mark the week, the Gateway High School counseling department invited faculty, parents and community partners to their advisory council meeting, which was conducted by counselor Colleen Tortorella.

Tortorella stressed the importance of exploring post-graduate options.

“It is really a commitment in our department to focus heavily on post-secondary education,” Tortorella said. “Graduation is not the goal, that’s the expectation.”

Tortorella said she tells students to ask themselves, “What are you good at, what are you doing after graduation and where do you see yourself down the road?”

In attendance were college representatives Manny Bravo, admissions counselor for Penn State Greater Allegheny, and Spencer Mercado Acosta, enrollment services specialist at Community College of Allegheny College’s Boyce Campus.

Tortorella said both schools are great supporters of the students and counseling department at the Monroeville district.

Mercado Acosta said there are 34 high school students signed up for summer or fall classes at CCAC. He recently held presentations at the high school.

“I had several meaningful conversations with students about their goals,” Mercado Acosta said.

Bravo said he enjoys meeting with the high school students to discuss their goals.

“A lot of students have great questions but also misconceptions about some of the programs,” he said. “(Meeting with the students) helps to give them a better understanding of what to expect.”

Gateway hosts a college fair in October and a skilled trades fair in May.

“We’ve noticed a significant decline in kids going to a four-year college and an uptick in skilled trades,” Tortorella said.

Last year, about half of Gateway graduates continued studies at a four year college or university. Others went to trade school, the military or into the workforce.

The counseling department also plans numerous field trips for students. Tortorella recently took students to Rosedale Technical College and CCAC West Hills.

“We want students to have unlimited access to resources and post-secondary options,” Tortorella said.

The four high school counselors - Tortorella, Kurt Martin, Joseph Fraas and David Heavner – follow their students, moving along with them as they progress through the grades.

Martin, for example, is currently the 10th grade counselor and will be with the junior class next school year.

“Our sweet spot is post-secondary,” Martin said, adding each counselor has about 270 students. “We meet quarterly to discuss our students. Administration has been very supportive.”

“I appreciate the opportunities you give our kids,” high school Principal Justin Stephans said. “Between the field trips and fairs, the students have lots of options.”