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
Learn more about ASPIRE.
Latest Updates
College Visits
Career Days
- December 06, Register for The Oregonian Career Day
- December 07, Register for Elections Career Day @ Multnomah County
* Note: Register for these virtual events as an 'out of district student'.
Seniors
- December 1 & 4 - STEM Careers and Apprenticeships - Come to the Hawk Center at the start of any period to learn about Career pathways, what they mean and how to find your path through it. Freshman and Sophomores can learn how to position themselves well for a variety of paths as well. Coming soon in early January, similar presentations on Health Sciences and Liberal Arts. Drop me an email, if you cannot attend and would like to know this information.
- Create FSA ID for yourself (student) and parent needs a separate FSA ID. Make sure you use full school name "Adrienne C. Nelson High School" with CEEB code 380062
- Learn more about upcoming FAFSA changes in this detailed video or smaller clips.
- Consider subscribing to the FSAOutreach channel on YouTube, hosted by U.S. Department of Education.
- Oregon Promise Grant Application is now open. Learn more here.
- OSAC Scholarships are now open.
- Seniors stop by the Career center for any help/questions/just to chat for College Applications/Financial Aid/Career direction/Apprenticeships...
- Heading into an Apprenticeship program - many have long wait times, stop by to start strategizing the process early.
Career Center - 1:1 support is available to help with:
- Figuring out your Major
- College or Trades route
- Finding Financial Aid or Scholarships
- Filling Applications, FAFSA, Essays, SAT or No SAT
- Parents or Guardians are welcome to make appointments as well.
All Students
- December 1 & 4 - STEM Careers and Apprenticeships - Come to the Hawk Center at the start of any period to learn about Career pathways, what they mean and how to find your path through it. Freshman and Sophomores can learn how to position themselves well for a variety of paths as well. Coming soon in early January, similar presentations on Health Sciences and Liberal Arts. Drop me an email, if you cannot attend and would like to know this information.
- Learn more about STEM Research Opportunities
- 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. Do plan on attending College Visits, to learn what is expected, reduce stress and focus better.
- Heading into an Apprenticeship program - many have long wait times, stop by to start strategizing the process early.
Career Center - 1:1 support is available to help with:
- Figuring out your Major
- College or Trades route
- Finding Financial Aid or Scholarships
- Filling Applications, FAFSA, Essays, SAT or No SAT
- Parents or Guardians are welcome to make appointments as well
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 highschool 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.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 a child in College and another in high school, 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.
Linda Chelsky
My passion for helping students in career and college planning started because I, myself, needed support when I graduated from high school and didn't receive it. I was told to go look up the address of a local college and request their application.
Now I have nearly 15 years of experience in helping students with post high school planning. I was an ASPIRE Mentor and Coordinator at Clackamas High School, 2006-2016.
I have a background in healthcare as a Nurse Practitioner and critical care - cardiology nurse. I have attended Oregon State University, University of Portland, and Oregon Health and Sciences University. My favorite career was raising 4 children assisting them with their college selection process, attending many college campus visits and college planning sessions.
Jeanette DeCastro
I joined as an Aspire Mentor in Spring of 2023. In my experience, we make our plans and then need the flexibility to adjust our plans! I attended Benson Polytechnic High School in Portland and then college wasn’t the right place for me. I did return about 10 years later to Portland Community College to earn an A.A.S. degree in Civil Engineering Technology. I have worked in multiple fields including caregiving, banking, software, and the public sector doing construction inspection and contract support. I am passionate about non-traditional career paths and trade apprenticeships.
Lauri DeLaczay
My hope is to demystify the career exploration and college application processes for students. My own children applied to 20+ colleges and universities across the US and Europe including ones requiring art portfolios or drama audition tapes. I’ve experienced firsthand the diversity in applications and the unique expectations of many colleges. I’ve also walked or formally toured 35+ campuses domestically and abroad.
I have been an Aspire mentor since Fall 2022 working at both Clackamas High School and Adrienne C. Nelson High School. I’ve been in the community for 30+ years having graduated from Clackamas Community College, Oregon State University, and Pacific University with a Bachelor in Psychology and Master in Education. My first 10 years after college were spent teaching at Oregon Trail Elementary which I loved, then the following 18 years were spent running a startup designing, sourcing, and importing travel and business gear for women. In addition, I’ve been part of the National Charity League Sunnyside chapter since 2016.
Information Related To:
- College and Career Exploration
- Applying to College
- Paying For College
- Community College
- Apprenticeships and Trades
- Military
College and Career Exploration
- Reliable College Information from US Department of Education.
- Create a login for free at Niche to get suggestions for colleges that meet your needs.
- Visit University HQ for tips, dates, and college readiness information!
- Check out for Health Care Services related Career Pathways.
- Check out WUE (Western Undergraduate Exchange) for out of state colleges with almost in-state costs.
- Create a free login to find your Transfer Credits for colleges.
- HBCU 101: Everything you didn't know about Historically Black Colleges and Universities with NCSD’s Black/African American Community Outreach Facilitator, Ashley Natt. Access Passcode: =i6@$e5C
- Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
- Aspire has great resources for Career exploration and College search.
- Don't forget to check out Naviance through school for additional information on Career Clusters and College search.
Applying to College
- Early Action: non binding, typically apply early and receive admission decision in Dec. - Jan. Usually recommended option.
- Early Decision plans are binding if accepted, most students are at a disadvantage in this route.
- Tips for writing a College Essay
- College and Scholarship Essay Workshop with NCSD’s Luke Scarpino and Kim Amador.
- Copy of Virtual Essay Workshop Guidebook- Please make a copy of this document for your own personal use. Access Passcode: Q%e7sBT7
- If you are considering a Gap Year, it is best to apply to college and then delay the starting date.
- Common App - for applying to many Colleges with one application.
Paying For College
- The best scholarships for College are AP Classes and Dual Credit classes! - these transfer credits could help you graduate a semester early, thus saving substantial funds.
- Career Technical classes at Sabin Schellenberg can also help you in getting better part time jobs on campus.
- Estimate your cost for College at this federal government site.
FAFSA
Filling out the FAFSA does not give you financial aid, it might make you eligible for financial aid from the college you are applying to.
Note: A Parent will need to create their own FSA Id to sign your FAFSA.
Note for 2024 Graduating Class: A new, simpler FAFSA is expected to be released this Fall for the students starting college 2024-25. Watch this detailed video or smaller clips for the changes coming soon.
FAFSA Forms for the 2024-25 school year are expected to be available in December 2023, instead of usual October 1, 2023 date
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How do I create a Login? It is simple! Watch this video for step-by-step instructions!
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What if I can't remember my login? No problem! Watch this video for directions on recovering your username and/or password.
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What if you need Line by Line help for FAFSA? Watch this video for detailed support.
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I don't understand my award letter... No problem! Watch this video for help distinguishing between various financial options.
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What is work study? Watch this video for an explanation regarding federal work study.
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Want the latest on FAFSA? Consider subscribing to the FSAOutreach channel on YouTube, hosted by U.S. Department of Education.
ORSAA
- What if I don't qualify to submit a FAFSA?
Visit https://oregonstudentaid.gov/orsaa-filter.aspx to see if the ORSAA application is a better fit for you!
- How do I fill the ORSAA?
ORSAA Demonstration Video (English) (Español). A walkthrough of the application from OSAC staff.
Scholarships and Grants
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.
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Check Naviance for local scholarships.
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What Federal Grants are available? Click for a list.
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What is the Oregon Promise Grant? Watch this video for information about the Oregon Promise Grant, who is eligible, and how to apply.
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How do I apply for OSAC Scholarships? Hundreds of additional scholarships are available to Oregon residents via OSAC.
- JLV Counseling Scholarship Search. This site provides thousands of scholarships listed by deadline date and and categories. You are not required to enter any personal information to access the regularly updated scholarships.
- Big Future – College Board Scholarship Search: Find matches from more than 6,000 programs totaling over $4 billion scholarship dollars yearly.
- Aspire - Paying for College: for detailed information on Grants and Scholarships.
- Other Legitimate Scholarship search sites:
Community College
- Portland Community College Transfer Majors - Great list of majors including in Engineering, Biology and Health Sciences areas.
- Clackamas Community College Transfer Majors - There are many majors for Liberal Arts, Business, Computer Science, Engineering and Horticulture.
- Mount Hood Community College - University Transfer Programs - Everything you are looking for will likely be here.
- If you are planning on transferring from Community College to a Bachelor's degree program, consider Dual Enrollment or Co-Admission programs. These are very helpful in keeping you on track for your goals: 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.
Apprenticeships and Trades
Start your search into Apprenticeship programs with this introductory video.
Understanding Union Apprenticeships - for details on all the union apprenticeship programs.
Registered Apprenticeship Programs - details available at this link.
Lots of great and reliable information on looking for and understanding apprenticeships.
There is information on various Pre-Apprenticeship programs as well.
Cosmetology, Tattoo, Trucking and other trades - scroll to the bottom of this link to check out options in Oregon.
Military
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!