1.

* Please identify your individual and group professional counseling skills and highlight your

counseling experience in each of the following areas: a. Transfer; b. Educational/Academic;

c. Career; d. Teaching; and e. Support Programs (Open Ended Question).

a. To better assist transfer students, I have observed and worked with general counselors

who are assisting students to transfer to four year programs. I have helped students directly to

understand and utilize the online ASSIST program. I have provided information to students

about the processes of the Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) and Associate in Arts Degree

for Transfer (ADT) programs to help them make sound, informed decisions about their academic

path.

b. Within the educational/academic area, I have worked with counselors to make plans

for students and to facilitate week career preparation workshops for groups. I also attended

Orientation.

c. To add value to students' career planning process, I have partnered with staff to

promote career advisement for students and have learned how to share valuable information on

the preparation and hiring process. I have gained knowledge on the use of the Myers-Briggs

Type Indicator personality inventory and the Strong Interest Inventory.

d. My teaching experience includes working with multi-ethnic adult students in the areas

of academic and career services; planning curriculum which incorporated individual children's

skills and interests; and preparing and demonstrating lesson plans.

e. While observing and helping counselors in EOPS, Trio, and the Athletic Department, I

have attended workshops and counseled and advised students from diverse populations in both

individual and group settings. I have discussed and evaluated students' needs for these programs

and provided translation for students with limited English skills. I have researched the available
support programs for low-income students in order to provide better personal counseling to

individuals.

All of this basic counseling experience relied on my use of strong communication skills,

such as listening and observing, empathy, care and respect for individuals, and a commitment to

provide correct, helpful information in a personalized and genuine manner.

2. * Suppose you were counseling a student and realized that the student was having difficulty

understanding you because of his/her limited English ability. How would you handle the

situation? (Open Ended Question).

I am bilingual, but once I discovered that a student had limited English ability and did not

speak my other language, my first task would be to assess my own communication with the

student. Am I speaking clearly, using simple, everyday (but not child-like) words or am I using

jargon, slang or abbreviations? Have I taken the time to confirm that I have understood

everything the student has been saying to me by rephrasing it and asking if I am correct? Next, if

I have any appropriate material already available in the student's first language which would

assist in communication, I would offer that. A chart in many languages is used in some offices

and organizations to ask if the speaker wants to request an interpreter and to reschedule an

appointment. Using a friend or family member as an ad hoc interpreter is not necessarily the best

choice because of conflicts with privacy and also because the casual interpreter may insert his or

her own values and judgments into a conversation rather than simply translate, but it has the

advantage usually of ready availability so it is useful especially for routine, non-sensitive

questions. A better choice is a colleague from the office or greater school community, but this

option is not always available. Professional interpreters are expensive; a less costly option is an

off-site interpretation service used by telephone but this requires payment arrangements. In some
cases, it may be necessary to simply "make do" as well as possible. This requires patience and

cultural sensitivity to avoid offending or short-changing the student. Demonstrations and written

materials, even in English, will assist because it is more effective to show a document or a

process rather than just talk about it.

3.* Please discuss 2-3 challenges you feel students face in trying to obtain a degree, certificate or

transfer to a 4-year institution. How do you see this position addressing these challenges? (Open

Ended Question).

One prevalent challenge is financial. To help address this, it is not sufficient merely to

make all relevant information regarding grants, loans and scholarships available. Students must

also be assisted to make correct choices regarding class scheduling and course loads so that they

move through their academic program as efficiently and effectively as possible. This not only

cuts down on financial costs, but helps prevent attrition. A second challenge is related to both

student ability and life circumstances. The student may have limited control over difficult family

and societal circumstances, and he or she may enter college without having been properly

prepared to use their abilities to the full extent. This means that what becomes critical for success

are personal factors such as attitudes, self-perceptions, and values. These are areas where a

counselor can have a tremendous impact by stressing skill-building, establishing goals,

advocating, and providing support services that lead to a pattern of success. An emphasis on

critical thinking and sound decision making should be made a routine part of every interaction

with every student, not just an occasional reminder or when there appears to have been a lapse on

a student's part. A counselor is in a position to help create an overall campus environment where

academics are valued and each student is considered an asset with much to offer the community.

This requires consistency and commitment by the counselor, but when the counselor feels a
sense of professional purpose and genuinely cares about the success of students, every part of the

job – individual interactions with students, planning and strategy-building, and building strong

relationships with other departments – becomes an opportunity to enhance the success of the

college in sending out well-prepared students.