October Senior Newsletter
Check out the full content
from the October blog.
October To-Do List
- Discuss together: Do you know if you are for sure on track to graduate? It is important that if mentees do not know, you investigate together.
- Log into your school portal. Sometimes you can check grades, where you are at with credits, and graduation requirements on your portal. If it is still unclear, find the main advisor’s email. Write an email together that states a desire to set up a time to meet during the school day to confirm graduation status.
- Follow up after the meeting to confirm status.
- Update your Mentoring Specialist on mentee’s current status.
Begin the career exploration process. The career path you would like to take can dictate what steps will be needed this year.
We recommend watching this helpful video. After you watch the videio:
- Discuss what areas of interest mentees would like to pursue, type of lifestyle you would like to have, and other questions brought up in the video
- Note that the video did not discuss taking a “gap year” after graduating; that is also an option. It can be good if you would like to work, save a bit of money, and take some time to explore what options would be the best fit for you.
- The Military was also not mentioned and we will have more info on that path next month.
- Reminder: There are many options and there is plenty of time to discuss them in the coming months.
- There are several programs and resources we will connect you to that make options affordable, including up to $2500 scholarship/semester provided by Save Our Youth.
We are excited to let you know about a couple resources that can help personalize your career exploration. We think the overlap of the three categories in the Venn diagram below gives a good framework for how to decide on a career path.
So career assessments ask questions about your preferences and strengths to identify careers that might fit you the best. When you work in a career that fits your interests and skills, you are more likely to feel job satisfaction and achieve success.
Career One Stop's three assessments offer career matching based on:
- How much you enjoy different tasks and activities: Interest Assessment
- Your skills and knowledge: Skills Matcher
- Which qualities in a job/workplace are most important to you: Work Values Matcher
“My Colorado Journey” is another tool you can use to explore different careers!
Once you click on one of the 16 career clusters (for example, Behavioral Health is shown below), click around on the 3 tabs circled below to learn more about different jobs, how much money you could make, what type of schooling you need, and more!
ACT/SAT REGISTRATION
If you desire to attend college, it may be important to retake the ACT or SAT. This depends on the range of schools you want to attend.
Many colleges in Colorado are now “test optional.” Research the schools you are thinking about attending; confirm their ACT/SAT requirements.
- ACT test date: There are test dates every two months and you need to register about a month ahead of time. Talk to your guidance counselor at school to get registered.
- SAT test date: There are monthly test dates (but not in Jan., Feb., or April). and you need to register about a month ahead of time. Talk to your guidance counselors at school to get registered.
TIP: If you need to have your fee waived to retake either test: ask the school for a waiver. If they do not provide one, reach out to your Mentoring Specialist.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES & REMINDERS
- School Resources: If you are unsure what your school offers for post-secondary planning, log into your school portal and email a guidance counselor together.
- Colorado Free Application Dates Oct 20-22, 2026: If you are considering applying for college, this could be a great way to get a jump start on things. However, if you are not ready to yet, no worries as most schools do waive fees for financial hardship as well. More Info
- Our December newsletter will dive into more application support.
The high dollar amount scholarships often have deadlines September – November so it can be worth starting to look into those:
Full-ride scholarships with deadlines this fall
Other Search Engine Sites
Local Listings
- Denver Scholarship
- Prosperity Denver Fund (they list orgs that provide scholarships, not direct links to the scholarships)
The Senior Experience 101
I am Angela Upchurch, the Education Manager at Save Our Youth. I am excited and ready to help you navigate this year! Between mentees, mentors, and myself; we can help senior mentees transition well into the next chapter of life.