The new college advisor, Candace Moore, began meeting with students and visiting classrooms on Oct. 1, hoping to help students with any post-high school plans. She has been primarily working with seniors so far, but plans to start working with juniors later in the year.
Moore hopes to meet with all seniors, regardless of whether they plan on attending college.
“Anything post high school is my job, and I can give advice, support or help,” Moore said.
Moore is available to help with many different aspects of post-secondary life, from editing essays to helping students think through what they want to do after graduation.
“I like to say that anything related to college is my job,” Moore said. “That could be working on applications, working on essays, filling out FAFSA, getting an FSA ID to fill out the FAFSA, looking for scholarships and looking for colleges.”
She encourages all students to schedule a meeting with her, even if they don’t feel like they need guidance in the college application process. She wants to learn from them about how she can better help other
students.
“I think some people who have other resources know some things that could help people who don’t have those resources,” Moore said.
Tala Dayyat (12) met with Moore recently. She found the meeting helpful for her college applications and recommends that other students also
schedule a meeting with Moore.
“Even if you know what you’re doing, she’s really helpful,” Dayyat said. “She knows everything.”
Counselor Jennifer Jockheck has been the point person for the hiring of Moore. With regards to the addition of the new college advisor to the team of counselors, Jockheck believes that students should go to whoever they feel most comfortable with for help.
“[Moore] is one more person, it’s one more resource,” Jockheck said.
Moore taught English in Brooklyn and Atlanta because she wanted to share her passion for words with others. Moore decided to apply to
Michigan State University to pursue a doctorate in Curriculum, Instruction and Teacher Education. She is currently in her sixth year of
the program.
“I’m hoping to finish this year and go out into the big world and see what I can do with it,” Moore said.
In July, she learned of the open position for a college advisor at ELHS and
immediately applied.
“I’ve always been interested in college-going, college readiness and helping people do that,” Moore said. “As an English teacher, it’s something
that I’ve always done — unofficially helping people with essays or even writing recommendations.”
To make an appointment with Moore, students can send her an email or stop by student services.
“The bottom line is I want to meet people,” Moore said. “I want to see students. I want seniors to feel like I’m somebody they can come to.”
