With the end of October steadily approaching, seniors have been preparing for the last few months for early action and decision applications to colleges. As questions and concerns run rampant, one special room at MHS seeks to solve any scares or shifts affecting seniors.
In room B337, better known as the College and Career Center, is the base of operations for Michelle Sun, Melissa Loftus, and Molly Paone. Although Loftus and Paone are somewhat new to Malden, Sun has been helping them get acclimated into the team they are today, with Sun and Loftus focusing on college help like the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and applications. Meanwhile, Paone focuses more on the career aspect, helping students find their calling and financial stability.
Paone elaborated on her job at Malden, saying “I like to try to help students recognize their strengths.” She often helps students with no experience in the workforce and helps students realize their full potential and transferable skills.
When asked about the current state of student hiring, she commented, “Employers are a little bit more conservative at the moment than they’ve been the past few years,” detailing how as the pandemic wound down, companies needed fewer workers. While Paone’s job is going to be difficult this year, she more than believes in the students.
“I think that the main thing that stands out to me about Malden students is just how motivated the students are, and it’s genuinely uplifting and a joy to help them figure out what they want to do,” Paone stated.
In terms of college, Sun and Loftus are excited about the upcoming deadlines and seeing the center fill up with students seeking guidance in their post-grad pursuits. While both are worried about the FAFSA deadline, they’re interested to see how the students and their team will handle it.
Preparing to handle the huge influx of students, Sun and Loftus split up the houses. Loftus took on Boyle and Holland, and Sun took Jenkins and Brunelli. While it’s not required to only work with your house counselor, it is strongly encouraged.
Special events being scheduled by the team include job fairs, college visits, and in-person representatives. Plus, there are on-the-spot admissions, where certain colleges will come to Malden High, interview students, look at their transcripts, and possibly accept them on the spot under certain conditions, none of which include selling your soul.
Sun also provided some advice on the college application process.“Seniors, apply to scholarships!” she continued, detailing how even after financial aid from schools and FAFSA, you’ll still have a few thousand dollars to pay depending on your financial status. “Miss Loftus works really hard finding all these niche scholarships like the Zombie Apocalypse Scholarship, or McDonald Scholarship.”
If you have any questions about the college application process or how to get a local job, please stop by the college and career center for more information and fantastic assistance or check their Instagram “maldenhigh_cac.
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