MCS hosts College Week

Knights sport their college gear. From left: Elly Mendez ‘17 for the University of Hawaii, Thomas Manglona ’17 for UC Berkeley, and Sung Hun Run ’17 the University of Notre Dame. (Contributed Photo)

Mount Carmel School’s Student Council last week hosted the school’s inaugural College Week. Led by Student Council president Thomas Manglona, the week promoted a college-bound culture among the student body.

MCS College Week kicked off with a two-day college fair in which professionals from across the island represented their college alma maters at booths in the first floor hallway of the school’s Maturana Building. Students then had the opportunity to talk with the guests about their college experience in speed-dating-style round-robin sessions. Colleges represented included the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the University of Michigan, and the University of Southern California.

MCS 2005 AlumKnight and MIT alumnus, Emmanuel Borja, was happy to help students prepare for college. “Mount Carmel School has always been good at supporting students in going to college, with programs like the SAT Boot Camp, but this College Week takes that preparation even further.” In talking about the value of a college education, he said, “College opens all kinds of doors, and the best college experiences give you skills that you can carry into a variety of fields.”

On Wednesday, representatives from Northern Marianas College Financial Aid Office met with Sophomores and Juniors to help them learn more about how to pay for college. NMC Financial Aid director, Daisy Propst, led the presentation, which covered everything from financial aid, scholarships, grants, work study, and student loans.

MCS Junior Nathaniel Snodgrass found the information very helpful. “They were very informative about the FAFSA [the Free Application for Federal Student Aid] and the scholarships we can apply to.” He added, “It also gives us a headstart as Juniors as we prepare for our Senior year.”

MCS College Week continued on Thursday with College Gear Day, in which students represented their favorite colleges with clothing and accessories from those colleges. Students were seen donning shirts from New York University, sweatshirts from UC Irvine, and jackets from the University of Notre Dame.

College Week concluded with college-bound Seniors meeting with Juniors to offer tips and guidance on the college admissions process.

Student Council president Thomas Manglona was very happy with how the week turned out.

“Every student I spoke with said they appreciated the activities that were hosted and people who came in to share their experiences.” Referring to his own experience, he added, “Having now gone through the college application process myself, coordinating College Week and having students start talking about college early is just one way to ease the anxiety that comes with preparing for life after high school.”