IRISH WEEKLY

Counselor's Corner

College planning with NAVIANCE

As noted during Curriculum Night, this year all students will work in Naviance, which is an educational data management platform used by STVM to help manage the college application process, including sending transcripts and letters of recommendation and building a student resume. Naviance is linked with students' Common App accounts and other platforms used in the college application process. Parents will also be provided with login information for their students.

Naviance is not a program new to STVM -- we have used this platform for many years to manage the college application process. What is new this year is that all students, including freshman, will begin to be familiarized with this program so that by the time they are seniors applying for college, they are well acquainted with how it works. Here are some of the highlights on how students will be working in Naviance over their time at STVM. Stay tuned to this space for login information in the upcoming weeks.

Freshman Year

Naviance Account Login (students and parents)
Career and college exploration
Resume profiles

Sophomore Year

College exploration
College majors exploration
Trades exploration
Resume building - service and leadership

Junior Year

College fair
Career fair
Scholarship searches
Begin letters of recommendation considerations
Fine tune resumes
College visits

Senior Year

Common App is completed as part of English classes (beginning of school year)
Resume Brag Sheet created in school
Letters of recommendation
Applications and transcripts

New!

SCHOLARSHIP & Post-Graduation opportunities

The counselors are forwarding scholarship and other post-graduation opportunities to the Class of 2026 via their school email and will continue to do so throughout the upcoming school year. We encourage students to look through this information regularly. We also will highlight some of the opportunities in this section of the Counselor's Corner.

The 2026 Jackie Robinson Foundation (JRF) scholarship application is now open! JRF Scholars receive grants of up to $35,000 over four years to supplement the financial aid they receive from their colleges or universities. In addition, Scholars receive extensive support services, including career guidance and internship placement, and they attend JRF’s annual multi-day "Mentoring and Leadership Conference" in New York City as well as other regional events throughout the year. JRF Staff will be hosting a handful of Q&A sessions starting in October to answer any questions you have about the application process. Check the website for updates once those dates have been finalized. Click here to for more information. The application closes at 5:00 p.m. ET on January 7, 2026.

This link to College Now lists several scholarship opportunities. Please scroll all the way through and to the bottom to explore scholarships for which you may be eligible!
Stark State offers several scholarship opportunities for Northeast Ohio students. Click here to find the ones for which you meet the criteria.
The Akron Community Foundation provides scholarships from forward-thinking donors to help local students pursue their educational dreams. Please click here to visit its website and locate scholarships for which you may be eligible.
StudentScholarships.Org is a great resource for external scholarships. Please click here for a list of scholarships currently accepting applications. Also, please click here to sign up for the newsletter.
Scholarships.com has valuable information as well as application links to all types of scholarships. It's worth checking out often to see if you might be a fit!

Senior College Application PRocess Update

The college counseling department has started the process of speaking to seniors during their English classes to discuss the college application process, including how to work in their Naviance/Common App accounts and to answer any questions that students may have.

Students have also received a calendar listing all the dates that college representatives will be visiting STVM this fall during the lunchtime hours. Seniors will want to take advantage of these visits because representatives provide valuable information, including application fee waivers and other tips.

Important Scholarship opportunity!

University of Dayton Marianist Leadership Scholars

Is the University of Dayton on your college list? Did you know that UD offers a scholarship worth $5,000 per year ($20,000 over four years) exclusively to graduating seniors from Marianist high schools through its Marianist Leadership Scholars Program (MLS)? This four-year faith, service, and leadership program is available to students who have demonstrated both an understanding and a practice of the Marianist story. Currently, six STVM graduates are participants in UD's MLS program. If you plan to apply to UD, we encourage you to apply for this scholarship. An application with essay questions, letters of recommendation, and an interview (held virtually) are required. Visit this link to learn more and access the application. Applications have a priority deadline of Nov. 15, 2025. You can also contact Brother Mitch Schweickart, S.M at the University of Dayton with any questions. Be sure to also follow MLS on Instagram at @mls_udayton

College Visit Opportunities & Application information

*The following information was sent to STVM's counseling department by these universities/colleges and forwarded to students in the Class of 2026. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. Students and parents should also register to receive admissions updates from any colleges you are interested in and/or visit their websites for more information about campus visits and events, scholarships and the application process.

University of Rochester Meliora Visit Program

The University of Rochester's Meliora Visit Program (MVP) offers a campus visit for prospective students from a range of backgrounds and allows them to experience Rochester on a more personal level. All seniors in high school studying in the United States are eligible to apply for MVP.

Prospective students who are accepted to MVP receive free travel to and from Rochester, a two-night stay with a current student host in a residence hall, and specialized MVP programming on top of Research Rochester (Open House) sessions. The fall 2025 MVP experience will be held Sunday, November 9- Tuesday, November 11.

Click here for more information on how to apply for this selective opportunity. The deadline is Friday, October 3 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Decision notifications will go out in one batch by October 14.

Please note: An unofficial transcript needs to be uploaded and students will need to write out their senior-year courses. There also are two short essay prompts. Students are unable to save in the form so it is recommended they prepare the responses separately and seek revisions before returning to the form to submit.

Miami University Updates

Bridges Program: The application for Miami University's Bridges Program is now open. This program offers high school seniors a firsthand look at life at Miami University and is designed especially for students who are first-generation college-bound or who have demonstrated financial need.

During the Bridges Program, students:

Visit Miami's campus to get a sense of what it would be like to be a student there.
Engage with students and professors in a Miami classroom.
Stay overnight in an area hotel and eat in the student dining halls.

Click here for more information or see your STVM student email. Application deadline is September 26, 2025.

Application Checklist: If you are considering Miami University, click here to see their application checklist for everything you need to know, including application requirements, deadlines, merit scholarships, financial aid and more!

Michigan Application Update

The University of Michigan has introduced Early Decision as a new decision plan for undergraduate admissions, as well as a new essay question and new academic program options. Visit this link or see your STVM student email for more information.

Ohio University

Students interested in Ohio University should visit the OHIO Freshman Experience webpage to learn more about student life at OHIO's Athens campus, to review important dates and deadlines (like the Early Action Deadline on November 15) and to schedule a visit. Students who apply to our Athens campus by the Early Action Deadline receive priority consideration for direct entry to academic programs, merit scholarship programs and University honors and scholars experiences.

Honors Program at Ohio University: Students interested in pursuing an honors major within the Honors Tutorial College must select an honors major on the application for admission. Students who meet eligibility requirements for honors and scholars programs will be invited to complete a separate supplemental application to apply. Explore all of OHIO's honors and scholars opportunities at ohio.edu/honors.

ACT and SAT Dates

There are several opportunities to take the ACT and SAT over the upcoming months.

For ACT dates and details, please click here.

For SAT dates and details, please click here.

Many 2026 dates are also listed so that you can plan ahead!

Volunteer Opportunity:

AKRON MARATHON

The Akron Marathon Race Series is looking for volunteers this fall. Volunteers can be as young as 12 (10 if they’re with a parent) and there are a wide variety of ways for students to get involved. Each volunteer will receive a volunteer t-shirt, lanyard, commemorative pin, and a certificate documenting the hours they volunteered.

FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon & Team Relay

When: Friday and Saturday, September 26 & 27

Location: Downtown Akron

To register, students can visit https://www.akronmarathon.org/volunteer/.

Students, please do not register using your school email address. The information they need for their volunteer shift will be emailed to them and the emails we send will be bounced back! For questions or to register a group of volunteers, please contact Katie Riley, Community Outreach Director, at 330-434-2786 or kriley@akronmarathon.org.

September is Suicide Prevention Month

If you or someone you know is in crisis, free and confidential support is available 24/7 through the following resources:

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 to connect with a trained crisis counselor. You can also use the online chat service.

Crisis Text Line: Text TALK to 741-741 to connect with a trained crisis counselor.

Veterans Crisis Line: Veterans can press 1 when calling 988 or text 838255.

Please visit the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) - for more resources and information.

MEET OUR COUNSELING STAFF

Ms. Jessica Henry
College & Career Counselor

Ms. Henry has a Master of Arts Degree from the University of Akron and is a licensed School Counselor as well as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor. She has worked at the high school level for her entire career in the education field and loves being able to help students navigate the college/career process and everything that comes after high school. Ways that Ms. Henry can help students includes, but is not limited to, the following:

Planning and pursuing post-high school plans, including college, job placement, armed forces or other opportunities.
Supporting the creation and management of Naviance and the Common Application accounts for college-bound students.
Reviewing transcripts and providing documentation necessary for college applications.
Notifying students about scholarship opportunities and providing support as necessary.
Notifying students of college visit opportunities and student programs.
Assisting students in identifying resources and meeting requirements needed to pursue post-secondary education, including ACT/SAT testing, essay development, letters of recommendation and other college requirements.
Assisting students in researching college options.
Guiding students through CCP (College Credit Plus) applications/guidelines/questions, etc.
Helping students with AP (Advanced Placement) information/guidance/questions, etc.
Helping student-athletes with NCAA Clearinghouse registration and questions.

Ms. Henry is extremely happy to be a part of the STVM Fighting Irish and has numerous family members that are alumni. Ms. Henry can be reached by email at jhenry@stvm.com or by phone at 330-253-9113 Ext. 136. Go Irish!

Health & Wellness Counselors

In our commitment to educating the whole person, the Health and Wellness Counselors at STVM support all students' social, emotional, and academic needs. They are available during the school day to meet with students individually or in groups and conduct classroom lessons.

Working with students to communicate with parents, teachers, and administrators.

Helping advocate for the individual needs of students and families and assist them in advocating for themselves.

Working with students to help assess abilities, interests, and achievements to help them make decisions about their future.

Providing professional assistance and support to a student or small group of students during times of transition, heightened stress, critical change, or other situations impeding student success.

Recognizing and responding to student mental health needs and assisting students and families seeking resources.

Sharing strategies that support student achievement with parents, teachers, other educators, and community organizations

Providing referrals for students and families to school or community resources for additional assistance and information.

Ms. Tara McCants
Health & Wellness Counselor
(Serves families with last names A-L)

Tara has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Master of Arts in School Counseling, both from Walsh University. She has been working as a school counselor for 11 years, with the majority of that time being at a school in Washington, D.C. Tara is happy to be a part of the STVM family, and she is committed to creating a nurturing environment where every student feels valued and empowered. Tara can be reached by phone at 330-253-9113 ext 131 or by email at tmccants@stvm.com.

Mrs. Amy Gay
Health & Wellness Counselor (Serves families with last names M-Z)

Amy has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a Minor in Applied Conflict Management, a Master of Education in School Counseling, and an Educational Specialist Degree in Counseling, all from Kent State University. Amy has more than 12 years of experience working with youth and more than ten years of experience working in a school setting. Amy is very excited to start this journey at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School! She is passionate about her work to help students and their families and believes every student can become their best self. Amy strives to provide a calm, warm, and non-judgmental environment. If you have questions or need to contact Amy, you can call at (330) 253-9113. Ext. 182, email agay@stvm.com.