Adrienne C. Nelson
High School
Career and College Support
Explore your Future...
Vainu Rao
Aspire Coordinator
Career Advisor, Individual Mentoring (for Students & Families), Math Tutor
Email: raov@nclack.k12.or.us Phone: 503-353-5750 X 38721
Schedule a meeting with
Learn more about ASPIRE.
Did you know: Oregon State Department of Education and ECMC have excellent resources throughout the summer to help Juniors and Seniors with any questions about future plans.
Have a Government issued ID ready - FAFSA can randomly ask you to upload documentation to prove your identity, they give you a short window to do so.
Meet your Aspire Mentors
Vainu Rao
I have been an Aspire Mentor since 2015. I have been retired for a while and enjoy giving back to the community by helping the next generation reach their potential. As a parent of 2 children in College, I am well aware of the challenges and opportunities facing our families and students. I am also available for Math Tutoring, as needed. I have a MS Computer Engineering, BS in Mechanical Engineering, BS Electronics. Worked in the private sector for 20+ years in Engineering, and Management positions.
Lauri DeLaczay
I have served as an Aspire mentor since Fall 2022, supporting students at both Clackamas High School and Adrienne C. Nelson High School. I’ve been in the community for 35+ years and graduated from CCC, OSU, and Pacific University, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s in Teaching. My first decade after college was spent teaching at Oregon Trail Elementary—a role I truly loved—before spending 18 years running a startup focused on designing, sourcing, and importing travel and business gear for women. I recently completed the UC Berkeley Ext Certificate in College Admissions and Career Planning, strengthening my ability to support students as they navigate both college pathways and career exploration.
Having guided my own children through 20+ applications in colleges and universities across the U.S., Canada, and Europe—including programs requiring art portfolios and drama audition tapes—I’ve seen firsthand how varied and demanding these processes can be. I’ve also visited 35+ campuses, both domestically and abroad, giving me an appreciation of the diverse environments students may encounter.
Blair Wardwell
I’ve been an ASPIRE mentor at Clackamas High School since 2022 because I want to make life after graduation feel less overwhelming. Whether your next step is college, trade school, work, or something else entirely, I want to help you build a solid plan. My own path wasn’t straightforward, and looking back, I wish I’d had someone to help me figure things out.
Helping my two kids explore gap years and navigate college applications showed me just how complicated and frustrating the process can be. My goal is to break it down into manageable steps, offer support, and remind you (as many times as you need): You’ve got this!
I have a bachelor’s in anthropology from the University of Oregon and a master’s in archaeology from the University of Cincinnati. My career has taken me all over the country, excavating sites, analyzing artifacts, and writing research reports. Now, I work as a records and information manager for an international biotech company.
Current News
- College Visit, Career Talks, Fairs, Career Days
- Summer Opportunities
- Seniors
- All Students (including Seniors)
- Scholarships and Grants Seniors only
- Scholarships and Grants - All Students
- Help Anytime
College Visit, Career Talks, Fairs, Career Days
College Visit -
May 12, 2:00 pm - SCAD - Savannah College of Art & Design - Meeting in Library.
Career Talks -
- Paying for College - Sign Up Parents / Students to learn more, anytime during school
- Making a College List - Sign Up Parents / Students to learn more, anytime during school
- How to Select a Major - Sign Up Parents / Students to learn more, anytime during school
Fairs -
- May 14 - Portland Community College STEM Pathways Summit
- May 16 - Oregon Trades Fair
- June 5 - Oregon State University Engineering Expo - featuring projects by students. Its free and a great opportunity to learn about exciting stuff and range of what an Engineer does.
Career Days -
These days are a great way to learn about an industry or career by spending a morning at a business working alongside experts. More career days will be added. Spots do fill up, register soon.
- Kaiser Permanente Career Day (Friday, May 8, 2026)
- Holst Architecture Career Day (Thursday, May 14, 2026)
Summer Opportunities
- Summer Career Academy (June 22-25, 2026). Get Paid and career mentorship program that connects students with inspiring women from multiple career pathways. - Apply Early
- Construction Mentor Program (June 29-July 2, 2026): Get Paid and mentorship opportunity that prepares you for the trades and sustainable building practices.- Apply Early
- Creative Careers Mentorship (July 13-16, 2026). Get Paid and career mentorship program that focuses on creativity, design and business. - Apply Early
- NW Cyber Camp various dates, Free
- Kaiser Permanente Summer Volunteer Program
- Clackamas Community College - Free classes during summer.
- OHSU Experience camps
- Univ of Portland Nurse Camp
- Ladder opportunities - Medical Internships for High School Students
- University of Oregon - Free week long summer camps.
- Clackamas Fire Explorer Program
- Temporary Election workers for Clackamas County - paid opportunity for students 16+
- Registration is now open for University of Oregon Free Summer Program - SAIL
- Registration now open for Summer Experience in Science & Engineering for Youth (SESEY) at OSU, Free - Apply by May 31.
- Registration is now open for Oregon Business Week at Oregon State University. - Scholarships available.
- May 24 - Oregon Girls State and Oregon Boys State - These are run by Veterans, not politically aligned with any party. Rising Seniors can join to be a part of creating a mock government for a week starting June 20. Camp is held at Oregon State University. Selected students can move to the National level. Scholarships Available.
- Samsung Scholarship for descendants of veterans for students going to Girls or Boys State events.
Seniors
Support for all things college related is available during school hours at the Career Center.
- Make sure the "College Application" section in Xello is current - this will help ANHS know to send your final transcripts to colleges. Go to Xello - Plans - College Applications - to start this process. Stop by if you need any help with Xello.
- June 1 (Last day) - Oregon Promise Grant Application - could help pay for Community College Tuition Learn more here
- Sign up for ECMC Summer Melt Program (for graduates) and for our gentle "nudges" (rising seniors, juniors and sophomores). We'll continue to encourage them during the summer break, and they'll be ready to engage with you once the school year starts up again. They are available to help with absolutely any help you need for starting College or building your College list, including paying for your choices.
- Heading into an Apprenticeship program - many have long wait times, stop by to start strategizing the process early.
All Students (including Seniors)
- Oregon Bottle Drop for your 529 Oregon College Savings Plan
ACT Upcoming Test Dates (For most students, testing is not necessary.)
Test Date 7/11 (registration deadline 6/05)
SAT Upcoming Test Dates (For most students, testing is not necessary.)
Test date 06/06 (registration deadline 05/22)
- Juniors should have FSA ID for themselves and a parent/guardian. Make sure you use full school name "Adrienne C. Nelson High School" with CEEB code 380062. Please reach out to me if you are in a special circumstance or need additional support.
Note: Some students are running into ID Theft issues when they create their FSA ID, so we can help if you need support resolving this situation.
Starting this week - Have a Government issued ID ready - FAFSA can randomly ask you to upload documentation to prove your identity, they give you a short window to do so.
- FAFSA Estimator - estimates costs ahead of the FAFSA opening date.
- College Bound - Applications open August 1, Please have your college list and details figured out soon. Stop by if you need help building a college list for academic and financial benefits.
- Common App - For students applying to more than 1-2 universities or colleges, it might make best sense to use the Common App which allows you to fill out one application but apply to many schools. Stop by for any help.
** Common App Support** - Within the link, search Contents on the left for help on each section. Helpful to have this site and your application open at the same time.
- Sign up for ECMC Summer Melt Program (for graduates) and for our gentle "nudges" (rising seniors, juniors and sophomores). We'll continue to encourage them during the summer break, and they'll be ready to engage with you once the school year starts up again. They are available to help with absolutely any help you need for starting College or building your College list, including paying for your choices.
- Common App should be connected to Xello to enable recommendation letters, transcripts and other school information that the colleges need. Go to Xello - Plans - College Applications - to start this process. Stop by if you need any help with Xello.
- Preview days at University/College of interest - These are great opportunities to learn about various Majors.
- Juniors - This is a great time to start thinking of Career/College/Trades after high school. Please stop by for any help or just a conversation.
- Sophomores & Freshman - We can help you make the most out of high school class offerings. This is a great time to start looking at forecasting for next year.
- Parents check out the ‘Recommended Reading section’ at the bottom for interesting higher education reading.
- Heading into an Apprenticeship program - many have long wait times, stop by to start strategizing the process early. Oregon Apprenticeship - begin exploring the many options for working in the trades.
Scholarships and Grants Seniors only
Do not apply for any scholarship that requests any payment, personal information like bank information or Social Security number, or guarantees any award.
When in doubt, contact your Counselor or Aspire Mentor.
- Check Xello for local scholarships.
- May 8 - Great Minds in STEM
- May15 - PCC Foundation Scholarships
- May 15 - Sadie Orr Dunbar - OR Fed of Women's Clubs
- May 22 - iUrban Scholarship - $1000 award for College or Career/Technical bound students.
- May 27 - OWRF Scholarship
- May 31 - American Indian College Fund
- June 1 - Oregon Promise - Apply for Community College or Dual Enrollment tuition grant .
- June 30 - Korean American Scholarship Foundation Western Regional Chapter, College bound students with GPA 3.0+ of Korean Heritage.
- Federal Grants are available.
- Oregon Grants, There are several really great grants including for barbers and hair dressers.
- Chaffee Grant - for students who've been in the foster care system, need based
- Oregon Tribal Student Grant - full ride, last dollar check details
Many scholarships including Full Ride Scholarships are available after submitting your application to a college. Often the deadlines for the high value scholarships are within days of early application deadline.
Scholarships and Grants - All Students
Do not apply for any scholarship that requests any payment, personal information like bank information or Social Security number, or guarantees any award.
When in doubt, contact your Counselor or Aspire Mentor.
- Check Xello for local scholarships.
- JLV Counseling Scholarship Search - provides thousands of scholarships listed by deadline or categories (including for all grades). Subscribe to get weekly email updates and are not required to enter any personal information.
- Big Future – College Board Scholarship Search: Find matches from more than 6,000 programs totaling over $4 billion scholarship dollars yearly.
- Other worthy scholarship search sites:
- Scholarships.com - including scholarships for all grades
- Oregon Goes to College
- Fastweb
- Going Merry
- Cappex
- Bold.org
- Unigo
Help Anytime
- Stop by the Hawk Career Center for help about Careers and Colleges including applications, trades and apprenticeships, financial aid, career paths, etc.
- Help with understanding Apprenticeships - many have long wait times, stop by to start strategizing the process early.
- 1:1 support is available to you in:
- Figuring out your Major
- College or Trades route
- Finding Financial Aid or Scholarships
- Filling Applications, FAFSA, Essays, SAT or No SAT
- Stop by for just a chat!
- Parents or Guardians are welcome to make appointments as well
Information Related To:
- Career and College Exploration
- Applying to College
- Paying For College
- Community College
- Apprenticeships and Trades
- Military
- Recommended Reading List
- Opt Out of Aspire
Career and College Exploration
- Reliable College Information - US Department of Education. You can search by school or field of study in the top bar.
- Sabin Schellenberg - great way to explore 17 Career fields for free, many students leave with valuable certificates.
- Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) - students are offered greatly discounted tuition to over 160 universities in 15 nearby states. Check qualifying degrees and deadlines.
- Health Care Pathways - see menu on left for length of study. (Check Community Colleges also)
- Careers in Nursing, Education expected, and Salaries.
- Niche - free login to get suggestions for colleges that meet your needs.
- Transfer Credits - to see how your credits will transfer to colleges.
- Aspire - great resources for career exploration and college search.
- Oregon Occupations in Demand 2025
- Oregon Careers Magazine - Jump to page 42. (Spanish Version)
- Oregon Career Explorer - Oregon salaries, job openings, and future growth.
- Occupational Outlook - national current salaries, job openings, and future growth
Applying to College
- Application Deadlines
- EA or Early Action - non binding, typically apply early (Oct./Nov.) to multiple colleges and receive admission decision in Dec. - Jan. Recommended option for most students.
- ED or Early Decision - binding agreement if accepted. You can only apply to one college. Most students are at a financial disadvantage in this route.
- RD or Regular Decision - apply based on regular application deadlines and receive decisions by April 1.
- Common App - for applying to many Colleges (Bachelors Programs) with one application.
- Common App Line by Line Help - search Contents on the left for help on each section. Helpful to have this site and your application open at the same time.
- College Essay Workshop - an NCSD workshop and accompanying guide.
- How to Write a College Essay - Oregon Goes to College page.
- If you are considering a Gap Year, it is best to apply to college and then delay the starting date.
Paying For College
- Dual Credit and AP Courses - great way to save college money by earning college credits for free while in high school. These transfer credits could help you graduate a semester early.
- Sabin Schellenberg - great way to explore 17 Career fields for free, many students leave with valuable certificates.
- Estimate your cost for College.
FAFSA
Filling out the FAFSA does not give you financial aid, it might make you eligible for financial aid from Oregon State, the college you are applying to and many scholarships.
Note: A Parent/Contributor will need to create their own FSA Id to sign your FAFSA. Parent and Student phone numbers and Email ids need to be unique and different from each other.
Parents: only create a FSA ID if you don't already have one.
Make sure you use full school name "Adrienne C. Nelson High School" with CEEB code 380062
Start the FAFSA process ASAP, so any issues (e.g. Identity Theft) can be resolved, before it impacts your financial aid!.
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No Social Security number? - how to get your FSA ID with no SSN.
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Forgot your login? regain access to your FSA ID. Parents, only create a FSA ID if you don't already have one.
- FAFSA en Español - Cómo presentar el formulario FAFSA® 2024-25
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Work Study - explanation regarding federal work study.
- FAFSA Issues and workarounds
- Mistakes and Corrections - how do I correct my FAFSA
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FSAOutreach - Detailed support on YouTube channel, hosted by U.S. Department of Education.
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FAFSA Customer Support - 1-800-4-FED-AID with support for multiple languages.
ORSAA
Typically for undocumented or DACA students.
Do I fill out ORSAA? - to see if you should fill the FAFSA or the ORSAA.
- ORSAA Tip Sheets (English) (Español). This PDF will guide you through the ORSAA process and outline how to apply for other financial aid in Oregon.
- Guide to the ORSAA (English). This guide breaks down the application sections and purpose.
- 5 Tips for Completing the ORSAA (English (Español). A video of tips for students and families as they start the ORSAA. A full playlist of videos for ORSAA filers is available here.
- Drop-in Sessions for students/families to ask questions about FAFSA or ORSAA with Spanish speaking OSAC staff – Dates/ times.
- ORSAA-related questions – contact ORSAAHelp@hecc.oregon.
gov or (800) 452-8807 (Monday - Friday, 8:00 - 4:30 PT). **Information is kept private from federal agencies.
** Student needs to complete ORSAA Application and THEN invite parent to complete their ORSAA application.
Community College
- Portland Community College:
- Transfer Majors - majors including in Engineering, Biology and Health Sciences areas.
- Healthcare - degrees and certificates, 6 mos to 2 years
- Clackamas Community College:
- Transfer Majors - majors for Liberal Arts, Business, Computer Science, Engineering and Horticulture.
- Healthcare - degrees and certificates, 6 mos to 2 years
- Mount Hood Community College:
- Transfer Programs - Everything you are looking for will likely be here.
- Healthcare - navigate to Healthcare, Medical, Fitness
- Dual Enrollment or Co-Admission programs. - Public universities in Oregon have partnerships with community colleges where students can choose to be enrolled in both colleges. Students are required to apply to both colleges and/or complete a separate application to be dual enrolled. Search “Dual Enrollment” on the website of the university/college you would like to attend for specifics about each school’s process.
- Community Colleges have great options for Apprenticeship Programs.
Apprenticeships and Trades
Apprenticeship Overview - short video by Oregon Employment Department.
Pre-Apprenticeship programs - accessing programs with little or no experience.
Union Apprenticeships - for details on all the union apprenticeship programs.
Registered Apprenticeship Programs - details available at this link.
Apprenticeship USA - programs in Oregon
Aspire resources - information on apprenticeship programs
Community colleges offer great options for apprenticeship programs and certificates.
Specialty trades - many careers including barber schools...
Military
Military Resources
- All Topics and Services - US Government
- Army ROTC
- Air Force/Space Force ROTC
- Navy ROTC
- Oregon National Guard
- OSU's Army ROTC program.
* ROTC programs often require SAT/ACT scores. Khan Academy can help you prepare for free.
Recommended Reading List
Great books to help you understand the background about Colleges. These are all available in the school library for students to check out.
- Colleges that Change Lives - Loren Pope
- Paying for College - Princeton Review
- Who gets in and Why - Jeffery Sellingo
- The Price You Pay for College - Rob Lieber
- Getting from College to Career - Lindsey Pollak
Opt Out of Aspire
Aspire often gets confused with AVID. Aspire is not a class.
Aspire is part of the Career Center support at ANHS. I meet with students/parents/guardians 1:1 to provide support for all things career/college related.
Career Center provides help with:
- Selecting a Major
- Technical School, Community College, 4 Yr. College
- College list or details on a specific college
- Applications
- FAFSA/ORSAA, Financial Aid, Scholarships
- Comparing Admissions
- Forecasting Classes in high school to support or explore Career Goals
- Using Naviance
There are additional subject matter experts who mentor from the community as well.
Aspire Program Opt-Out
In the North Clackamas School District we are determined to create a strong career & college going culture in our high schools. Adrienne C. Nelson High School has embraced the State of Oregon’s ASPIRE program that offers education, support, and mentoring opportunities for all students. ASPIRE student supports include 1:1 mentoring, group mentoring, and activities or events that focus on career exploration, career and college research, admissions applications, scholarships, and financial aid. If students choose to participate in the mentor program, it is important to know that all ASPIRE staff and community mentors go through a background check and that confidentiality is required as mentors will have access to student academic records. Mentoring will take place in person or in a combination of virtual, electronic communication following North Clackamas School District guidelines. If you do NOT want your child to participate in the ASPIRE program, please contact your Adrienne C. Nelson High School College Coordinator to opt out of the ASPIRE program.Are you a college, military, trade or union rep? We would love for you to set up an in-person or virtual visit for our students. Please use RepVisits and search for Adrienne C. Nelson High School to sign up!