A new program is coming to TJ to assist 9th through 11th graders on choosing the right college.
Students sport hoodies of colleges that they wish to attend or plan on attending. Photo by Clayton Bridges.
Come one, come all (if you’re a freshman, sophomore, or junior that is), to the brand new program Thomas Jefferson is hosting in order to help 9th through 11th graders pick the right college.
The program, Pick a College Like a Pro, will be held on Tuesday, April 16th at 6:00pm in the auditorium. There will be a speaker, Terry Ruch, who has experienced college life at many different colleges and universities, from large to small and private to public. Ruch has traveled to different high schools in order to make the decision factor of college a little bit easier for students. It has become Colorado’s most popular presentation on college selection, with over 75,000 people in the state attending.
Ruch has taught students how to “pick a college like a pro” for the past 20 years. He served as President of the Colorado Council of High School/College Relations where he worked closely with high school guidance counselors and college admission personnel throughout Colorado. He became more educated about the value of students finding his or her talents in choosing the best college for them. He was inducted into the Colorado Council Hall of Fame and has dedicated his career to helping students.
Ruch is not a stranger to the TJ community. TJ Future Center Representative, Tabitha Rocha mentioned that she has known Ruch since she came to TJ, and Counselor Stephanie Stone said she has known him for over 12 years. “He is very wise on this subject matter,” commented Stone.
Rocha believes this will be a good program for the students. “The hardest thing for many students is when they meet with me their senior year and wonder which college is going to the best fit for them. By senior year you have to apply and have an idea of where you want to go, and the 9th through 11th graders could benefit from a program like this,” said Rocha.
This will be the first year “Pick a College Like a Pro,” will be held at TJ, and Rocha hopes the students will take in knowledge that they will need to know when they make their big decision.
