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| Despite only a few hours a week to get students off to college, Valerie Armstrong helps hundreds of kids make it to the next educational level. |
Local Hero
Valerie Armstrong -- A Part Time College Counselor at San Pedro High --- Guides
Hundreds of Students To A Higher Education Despite Severe Budget Cuts
She Is A
Woman You and Your College Bound Child Want to Meet
By Diana L.
Chapman
My son burst
through our door a few weeks back and shouted:
"Mom. Mom. You won't believe what Mrs. Armstrong did. She helped me
with everything, getting my transcripts, just everything."
I wasn't
surprised having come to know Valerie Armstrong over the past few years and witnessing
her sturdy dedication to numerous students going through the gauntlet of
competitive college applications.
With only
two hours a day slotted to the once full-time college and career counseling
post, she somehow manages to aid dozens of students while also juggling two
other part time jobs at San Pedro High. She also serves as a work experience
coordinator and a Title One Coordinator.
She sums her
college counseling job up this way:
"The job
is either the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat during college
acceptances in March, "she said. "You'll see a kid who only wants to
go to UCLA and doesn't get in. And
that's the hardest part. Sometimes it's heart wrenching."
Filled with
advice for students and parents (who are also welcome to meet with Armstrong) she
starts out with this important suggestion: Ninth graders should step into her
office as soon as possible to understand all the requirements needed to go to university.
Otherwise, it may be too late and they are at risk for not making the A-G
requirements -- what classes are required by colleges.
Often
seniors and juniors show up having dropped math after two years -- all that's
needed to graduate from high school. However, four years of math are required or
recommended by many universities, including the UC system.
In addition,
students often forget they received a D or F in their ninth grade or sophomore
years. Those grades have to be made up in order to get into most four year
colleges and by then, there's little time for make-ups.
Students in
all grade levels, should come and meet with her as soon as possible.
"It
starts from the moment they get here," Armstrong says. "I recommend
to them to get all As and Bs. What I'm noticing is a lack of interest in the
9th grade. So I'll ask them if they want to go to a four-year college. Parents
can call me or make an appointment or e-mail me anytime."
Armstrong
advises students on timelines, scholarships, applications, letters of
reference, financial aid, what classes are necessary (called A-G) to become competitive and encourages them not
to just be participants in clubs, but to find a leadership roles in the
programs they're involved in.
"Don't
be a stranger," she often tells kids once they drop in for information. To
get an appointment with her, all students have to do is sign up on a sheet
hanging on her office door so she can summon them from the classroom.
Her frequent
student visitors rave about the efforts she put in for them and others.
"During
the time I spent applying for college, I was in her room everyday with a
different question," said 17-year-old Jazmin Ruiz, who received a full
ride to UC Berkeley. "Her experience with the process made it
astronomically easier, bearable and less stressful. I am truly grateful for the
time she dedicated to helping me."
Armstrong
inspired her, said 17-year-old Rita Marquez who will be attending Wellesley
College in Massachusetts.
"I can
truly say that I owe a lot of my success to Ms. Armstrong," Marquez
explained who became a college peer college counselor under Armstrong's tutelage.
"She is really a wonderful person...who dedicates so much her time to our
students and she's always there whenever I need anything."
But she's
also there for parents.
When my
husband and I realized we couldn't financially afford the schools Ryan got
into, we steered him toward community colleges . The choice was narrowed between
El Camino and Santa Monica.
It was the
same financial plight Jeanine Eldar found herself in after her son, Korey, was
accepted to seven universities.
"Valerie
Armstrong is an unsung hero, who really deserves some public recognition,"
the older Eldar explained who added she frequently consulted with the
counselor. "It was Valerie's assistance
that helped guide our very difficult decision to turn down numerous University
of California and California state schools in favor of going to El Camino since
it made more financial sense to attend there for two years."
The solution: Armstrong encouraged both teens to enroll in
the Honors Transfer Program at El Camino. This set of students receive a
priority in getting classes, the counselor said. Some consider it like
attending a mini-UC on the crowded campus.
Both were
accepted. Transferring to the honors program, she said, avoids "excessive
student loans" and cuts college expenses in half, she said.
"I
first met her during the second semester of 11th grade and ever since she has
always kept me up to date on the variety of opportunities," said
17-year-old Elizabeth Do who became a peer college counselor and will attend
UCLA. "She definitely knows her
information, but if she doesn't she'll call and ask. I've been able to observe
her dedication in inspiring seniors to seek a higher education."
Armstrong
said she enjoys her job and even when she knows a student is unlikely to get to
their "dream school," she encourages them to apply anyway.
