The counselors of Upland High School will provide a safe environment for students to successfully complete high school and assist them in reaching their post-secondary, career and educational goals, while encouraging them to build healthy relationships with peers, parents and staff.

COUNSELING GUARANTEED SERVICES

As a counseling team, our goal is to teach, support and inspire students to pursue their academic, career, personal and social goals.  We recognize each student as an individual with unique qualities and talents.  Our commitment is to prepare all students to be life-long learners who are able to adapt to a changing world.

Students are welcome to stop by the Counseling Office without an appointment at lunch  with any questions they may have (Do not come during class time as we do not want you to miss instructional time). 

Parents can call to set up an appointment to meet with a counselor by contacting the appropriate counseling secretary. Counselors are also readily accessible via email and phone. Counselors will also individually meet with parents and their students starting the first semester of every school year.

Our goal is to help every student acquire the skills needed for college or other post-high-school opportunities.  We offer the following support and advisement:

• Annual 4-year plan meetings with students and parents to establish academic and career goals.

• Attend IEP (special education), ADA 504, and SST (Student Study Team) meetings providing consultation and advisement.

• Meet with students in crisis and provide information for appropriate professional personal/social counseling services.

• Provide group orientations at each grade level to ensure students have the most up to date information in order to make the best academic, career, and personal choices.

• Introduce various colleges by scheduling individual visits by college admissions representatives to talk with students (Career Center).

• Host workshops and guest speakers to share expertise on the college admissions process and financial aid options.

• Prepare school materials (transcripts, recommendations and the school profile) on behalf of students to universities and colleges for admissions and scholarship purposes.

All the counselors at Upland High School have Master Degrees in counseling and are credentialed in Pupil Personnel Services by the State of California. With a combined experience of 124 years in education, the UHS counseling team is ready to serve all your educational needs.

 

Class of 2023 Counselors: Monica Gullo (A-Lep) and Marnie Simmons (Leq-Z).  Mrs. Gullo earned a BA from CSU Fullerton in Psychology. Instantly identifiable for her penchant to wear anything with a cheetah print, Mrs. Gullo loves to spend time with her family and attend sports events. Mrs. Simmons graduated from CSU San Diego with a BS in Criminal Justice. Mrs. Simmons enjoys going to movies and concerts, and when time permits to travel to fun and interesting places.

Class of 2024 Counselors: Bobbie Giovanetti (A-Loe) and Alejandra Talavera-Curiel (Log-Z). Ms. Giovanetti earned a BA from the University of La Verne in Sociology. Ms. Giovanetti has played soccer competitively and enjoys athletics. Ms. Talavera-Curiel graduated from CSU Pomona with a BA in Liberal Studies. Mrs. Talavera-Curiel is an avid sneaker head and a plant based chef.

Class of 2025 Counselors: Bridget Santoyo (Lop-Z) and Claudia Cantu (A-Loo). Mrs. Santoyo received a BA in Psychology from Bellevue College. When not helping students, Mrs. Santoyo can be found at Nordstroms or just spending time with family. Mrs. Cantu graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with BA in Behavioral Sciences. Mrs. Cantu loves to read and when given the chance to travel and go to the movies.

Class of 2026 Counselors: Art McCain(A-Lon) and Kimberly Sanchez (Loo-Z). Mr. McCain graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA in English. He also enjoys participating in auto racing and spending time with his family, both human and canine. Ms. Sanchez earned a BA from San Diego State University in Psychology. When she isn't spending time with family, you can find her reading, singing or learning a new language.

SENIOR LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION (Class of 2023)

If you need a letter of recommendation from your counselor for a college application or a scholarship, it is required that you fill out the Letter of Recommendation packet found in your counselor's Google Classroom. The deadline to submit the packet is 11:59 p.m. on October 1st, 2022.

Counselor Letter of Recommendation

Going Merry Scholarship Search Engine

GOING MERRY

A scholarship is a payment made to support a student's education, awarded on the basis of academic or other achievement. Scholarships are only one source of funds to help pay for a students continuing education after high school (others include: work study, loans, financial aid, and grants). At Upland High School we encourage the use of Going Merry to search for scholarships and to complete the Free Application For Financial Aide (FAFSA). To create your free account just click on the symbol:

 

 

 

SCHOLARSHIP SCAMS

If it feels too good to be true, it probably is! Here are some “offers” or “opportunities” that may entice you to apply. If you see the following red flags, stop the application process and walk away.

1. Guarantees

   If you receive some type of guarantee that you will win scholarship money, it is a scam. Nobody representing a legitimate award opportunity will be able to guarantee that you’ll win. In the end, this scam artist likely wants personal information from you.

2. Unsolicited Scholarship Offers

   If you have a cell phone or an email address, you have very likely experienced spam content. As a student, you may get offers via phone, mail, or email, offering you a scholarship. If you did not request information from that provider, be very careful. Keep in mind that scholarships are awarded through an application process. They are not just given out randomly to students.

3. Fees

   Applying for legitimate scholarship opportunities is always FREE. The application may cost you time and effort, but it should never cost you money. Even if you find an application that states it is just $5 to apply, do not submit an application. In this scenario, it is very likely that the scammer is trying to get bank account or credit card information from you.

4. Limited Time Offers

   Legitimate scholarships have deadlines and can be found within the application guidelines. If you hear from a “provider” that their scholarship offer is only available for a limited time, it’s a scam.

   Real scholarship providers do not need to pressure students to apply for their awards. They also want to ensure that applicants have ample time to complete their applications and essays. If you are feeling pressured to apply for an opportunity because you’ve been told it’s a “limited time offer,” do not apply.

5. Gathering Very Personal Information

   During the application process, scholarship providers should not be asking for private information, like your bank account, credit card info, or social security number. Applications will very likely ask for your contact info, like your email address or phone number. They may also ask for your street address as well as the school you plan to attend. If you do win a scholarship, it’s likely they will ask for further information from you, specifically as it relates to

6. Eligibility

   Every scholarship opportunity will have eligibility requirements. The scholarship may be open to certain grade levels, or you must be a student currently or about to enroll in an accredited institution. If the eligibility requirements seem open-ended, and literally anyone is able to apply regardless of their student status, it should raise a red flag. It may be helpful, as well, to see if their website or award opportunity lists any previous winners. If the “testimonials” seem unnatural and contrived, it’s definitely a scam.

7. Don't Call Us, We'll Call You

   Scholarship providers will always provide contact information in the event that you have questions or concerns. Conversely, scammers will create fake websites claiming to be legitimate scholarships; however, their site will be void of any contact info. If you do come across a scholarship that is questionable, check their site for an address or phone number. Do a quick Google search to see if the address checks out, and call the number to see who – if anyone – answers.

8. Is It Too Good to Be True?

   The best rule of thumb to follow? Again, if it seems too good to be true, it likely is! There are millions of award opportunities to apply to; don’t get hung up on thinking a scholarship scam was “the one.” There are also several additional reputable online resources that list scholarship scam guidelines and information. Utilize them to familiarize yourself with the warning signs so that you don’t fall prey to student scams.

 

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