IRISH WEEKLY

Counselor's Corner

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.

Summer Volunteer Opportunity: AKRON MARATHON

The Akron Marathon Race Series is looking for volunteers this summer and 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. There are volunteer opportunities on Friday and Saturday of race weekends, with two races left to choose from:

Goodyear Half Marathon & 10k

When: Friday and Saturday, August 8 & 9

Location: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. World Headquarters

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.

SCHOLARSHIP & Post-Graduation opportunities

The counselors will forward scholarship and other post-graduation opportunities to the Class of 2026 via their school email throughout the upcoming school year. We encourage members of the Class of 2026 to look through this information regularly. The below links will help familiarize you with opportunities that could be available during the 2025-26 academic year.

The following 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!
The following link from Stark State lists 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.

ACT and SAT Dates

There are several opportunities to take the ACT and SAT over the summer 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!

PAST PRESENTATION LINK

Here is a link to the presentation given at STVM about College Financial Aid:

Introduction to Financial Aid

2025-26 FAFSA Information

(Free Application for Federal Student Aid)

HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE 2025–26 FAFSA® FORM

NEW: The 2025-26 FAFSA (the FAFSA that current seniors should complete) is now available.

Parents/guardians should complete the 2025-26 FAFSA form as soon as possible. Here are some steps to take to be prepared:

Create a StudentAid.gov account (if you don’t already have one).
Learn about the documents you may need to fill out the FAFSA form.
Determine your dependency status and whether your parent(s) or spouse will be required to contribute information on your FAFSA form.
If you’re a dependent student, use the Who’s My FAFSA Parent? wizard to identify which parent(s) will be a required contributor on your form.