Central Arizona College Opens Office at CHS

Christian Tillard, Staff Writer

Are you looking for college help or university help for your future?

Look no further than the Career and College Center in room 537.

Decorated with Central Arizona College’s yellow and green colors, the career center is now a home where Combs High School students can meet with C.A.C counselors about planning for their future.

“We’re going to be here once a week on a Monday,” CAC Outreach Coordinator Hazel Rossi said. “We will have financial aid, we will have program directors come in and their staff so that [students] can come in and talk to these people and find out what we have to offer and if it’s something that you can transfer on to a university.”

CHS students will immediately benefit from this partnership because they don’t have to travel at all and can take advantage of the convenience, should they choose to take a visit.

“It’s easy access for the students. They don’t have to come to our campus initially, they can stay here and we can help them,” Rossi said. “This partnership will allow C. A. staff and faculty to assist students with the exploration of career options, assistance with applying online and registering for classes, all while giving the student the convenience and access to interact with high school and college staff simultaneously from the comfortable or familiar space.”

With this brand new partnership, comes more help and support for the school’s counselors and students.

“Our counselors do an excellent job of working with our students and helping get them the classes that they need to be prepared for the future,” Assistant Principal Scott Sheldon said. “This is going to add an additional layer of support for our kids and assistance to get them to where they need to be so that they can be successful in the future.”

The standing partnership allows Rossi to do a lot here on campus.

“I am so impressed with J. O. Combs,” Rossi said. “from Principal Farabee to Scott Sheldon to Jolene and Brenda and [Brandon] to our IT lady, Ms. Belshe-Telleen because without them, I can’t do my job. I can’t do everything that I need to do like the ACCUPLACER and… everything else. And the early childhood education students, I can’t come in and do dual enrollment if I don’t have support from J. O. Combs.”

At the ribbon cutting ceremony, Counseling Department Chair Brenda Lohr had one thing to say.

“I just want to encourage our students to take advantage of this opportunity and spread the word,” Lohr said. “because [students] aren’t listening to the announcements necessarily. And they need to know that we have a CAC representative here every Monday.”

Starting Monday, Feb. 24, CAC representatives will start talking to students who pay a visit to room 537. Make sure to plan a visit during passing period, lunch, or during class if your schedule allows. Take advantage while the partnership stands!