Welcome Back!

Another year is upon us, and we are now in the full swing of things. Educators often talk about developing an outcomes-based curriculum. This means that, as they develop their course for the year, they start with the learning objectives and work backwards to the first day of class to ensure that each of those learning objectives is met. Why is that important for the College and Career Counseling Office? Because unlike in your high school classroom, you get to set the objectives, and I get to help you achieve them.

How awesome is that! You are in charge of your own destiny! But with great power comes great responsibility. I cannot help you achieve your goals if you do not know them yourself and if I am not aware of them. Want to be a doctor? Cool, let's go! Nuclear Physicist? Awesome—let's chat with the Navy. Tradesman? Let's get in touch with local union halls. None of this can happen, however, without your active involvement in the process.

Seniors — I have met with many of you and will be meeting with each one of you individually during the fall semester. Keep an eye out for an email from me with a link to schedule some time for us to speak.

Juniors — I hope to meet with each of you individually in the spring. Stay tuned for more information as the year progresses. You should be actively building your dream school list.

Sophomores — You should be developing your goals for what's next after high school by building a list of careers and settings in which you want to work.

Freshmen — You should begin to explore your strengths and weaknesses. If you have a goal and want to reach it, let's talk now! Dream of going to an Ivy or a T20 college or university? Every step you take from here on out is about building your resume and academic achievements toward that goal.

Parents — Stay engaged! Be active participants in helping your sons and daughters develop their skills. Guide them and encourage them. Do not limit their dreams, because I believe that an STVM education can take your child anywhere. It's why I made the choice for my own son and daughter. Over the next four years, it's imperative that you expose your kids to all the amazing colleges and universities available to them. Going to Canton to go shopping? Drive through Malone and Walsh—it's a 15-minute detour. How about that trip up to Trader Joe's? Stop out and see John Carroll. Going camping at Hocking Hills? Have you seen Ohio University? Every student should visit or see a large state institution in a city setting, a large state institution in a rural setting, and a private college in a city, suburb, and rural setting before they graduate. It doesn't have to be an official college tour—just drive through and see what feels right!

As we enter this year, I leave you with a quote from the Patron Saint of Students and Academics:  "Creator of all things … Grant to me keenness of mind, capacity to remember, skill in learning, subtlety to interpret, and eloquence in speech." — St. Thomas Aquinas.

LAUNCHED THIS WEEK:
CLASS OF 2027 COLLEGE ROADMAP SERIES

College application season can feel overwhelming, but the process becomes much more manageable when approached one step at a time. To help seniors and their families navigate the year ahead, STVM is launching the Class of 2027 College Roadmap, a weekly email series from the College & Career Counseling Office.

Each installment will provide timely guidance on important topics, including:

• Building a balanced college list

• Understanding application plans and deadlines

• Completing Common App and Naviance requirements

• Preparing and submitting application materials

• Applying for financial aid and scholarships

• Understanding college costs and comparing offers

The first Roadmap email has been sent to senior parents and guardians. New installments will be emailed each week and added to the College & Career Counseling Resources tab in MyIrish for easy reference.

This series is also part of an ongoing transition to move many of the resources previously housed in Counselor’s Corner into MyIrish, creating a more centralized and accessible location for students and families.

College & Career Counselor Michael Hollenbaugh, Ph.D., is also meeting individually with every senior to discuss their goals, college interests and application plans. Many seniors have already completed their meeting, and all seniors have received an email asking them to schedule an appointment.

Our goal is to help every STVM senior planning to attend college build a thoughtful application strategy and submit their applications by the end of the fall semester.

Click here to access the College & Career Counseling Resources tab in MyIrish

COLLEGE FINANCIAL AID (FAFSA) NIGHT - SEPTEMBER 23, 2026

Parents and guardians of senior students are invited to STVM’s College Financial Aid Night.

📅Wednesday, September 23
⏰6:00–7:30 p.m.
📍Room 256

Learn more about:

• FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and the CCS Profile (College Scholarship Service)

• Cost of attendance

• Student Aid Index, formerly known as Expected Family Contribution

• A college’s sticker price vs. what families may actually pay

• Scholarships and financial aid opportunities

• Athletic scholarships for NAIA and NCAA Division I and II programs

Join us for helpful information and answers to your questions as your family prepares for the college financial aid process.

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.

Beginning this fall, the counselors will forward scholarship and other post-graduation opportunities to the Class of 2027 via their school email and will continue to do so throughout the school year. We encourage students to look through this information regularly. 

SCHOLARSHIP RESOURCES

• The Akron Community Foundation provides scholarships from forward-thinking donors to help local students pursue their educational dreams. Please click here to view specific scholarship opportunities they have available, based on a variety of qualifying factors. You should also click here which will direct you to their online application portal, which provides an opportunity to be auto-matched with scholarships for which you may be eligible. 

• This page on Stark State's website offers several scholarship opportunities for Northeast Ohio students. These are OUTSIDE scholarships that may be applicable to students attending any higher education institution or vocational training program. Click here to find the ones for which you meet the criteria.

• 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!  

• 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! You can also sign up for email alerts. 

• Scholarships.com has a page dedicated to opportunities for the Class of 2027! Click here for information.

The application for our Fall 2026 HBCU College Tour is now available! This is a six-school tour of colleges in the Washington, DC metro area that runs Sept. 27-30, 2026. For the flyer, click here. For the application, click here.  Schools include:

• Bowie State University 

• Coppin State University

• Hampton University

• Howard University

• Morgan State University 

• Norfolk State University

Check out The College Tour, an award-winning series TV series that tells the stories of colleges and universities around the world. The latest episode features Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO), a proud HBCU. Visit their website to see other colleges and universities featured on the show.