Mrs. Jessica Kaiser, a well-known and beloved school counselor, has become the first college and career advisor at Bridgewater-Raritan High School, working mainly with juniors and seniors to navigate the complex college admissions process as well as providing exposure to various careers.
With a heavy emphasis on providing both students and parents with support for future planning, she will work with students and their assigned school counselors to provide many opportunities and additional resources.
Mrs. Kaiser has been a counselor at BRHS for 11 years, and her work both here and in other schools has encouraged her to create a detailed plan that would greatly support juniors and seniors in workshops, seminars and other important events related to college and career planning.
“I actually feel very excited,” Mrs. Kaiser said. “It was a lot at first because [the role] had never existed before [at BRHS], and even though I know what other college and career counselors do at other districts, it is important to tailor this position to the needs of our students, which can differ from other districts.”
The college and career advisor has already set into motion guidance on the main aspects of college and other post-graduate programs, with the BRHS College Fair being held on October 11, where over 100 major universities, colleges and military recruiters spoke to students and parents.
For the future, Mrs. Kaiser wants to “prepare students for the immediate future after graduation, whether it be attending college for a 4-year course, going to a trade school, joining the military or directly entering the workforce.”
Mrs. Kaiser is planning to help seniors with their college choices and essays, bring in college speakers, communicate with the parents of seniors and prepare freshmen from the start with the expectations of high school and the future college application process through a freshman transition program. She plans to host orientations for freshmen to better prepare them for the academic and social aspects of high school.
She says she “has been able to accomplish a lot so far, but I am really excited to see what I could do to grow it and make it better.”
