College Success Counselor

At the Social Justice Learning Institute (SJLI), we are dedicated to improving the education, health, and well-being of youth and communities of color by empowering them to enact social change through research, training, and community mobilization. Our Higher Pathways program is a direct pipeline for SJLI alumni (SJLI high school participants) to receive support in achieving educational, career, and economic growth through three high-touch approaches: College Success, Career Readiness, and Support Services.

College Success is our college persistence work, where we support SJLI alumni on their educational attainment journey. This includes college acceptance and enrollment, family financial aid workshops, SJLI scholarship support, school year planning sessions, summer college immersion experiences, and wraparound services to ensure alumni have a solid foundation to begin and finish their higher education path with a degree in hand.

Career Readiness is our career guidance and development work, consisting of workforce skill development, internship/externships/part-time opportunities during summer for alumni in college, direct career readiness and placement for those going into the workforce, and also entrepreneurial exploration.

Support Services provides wrap-around counseling sessions on an individual and small group basis to ensure positive, healthy engagement with their experience, as well as access to additional resources as needed for unforeseen incidents or emergencies.

Job Summary:

The College Success Counselor (CSC) will be assigned a caseload of 30-60 SJLI Alumni (ages 18-24). They will work alongside the Higher Pathways Manager and Career Readiness Counselor to ensure their caseload’s college persistence, career development, and socio-emotional well-being. A CSC will typically work virtually, with weekly office days and opportunities to assist their caseload in-person. Additionally, a CSC will support SJLI’s high school seniors in their transition to post-secondary education.

Responsibilities:

• Provide academic counseling, with respect to a scholar’s college and post-secondary plans
• Co-create academic goals and plans, and assist scholars in applying to related opportunities
• Review and assist with FAFSA, SJLI scholarship, and other financial aid opportunities
• Conduct monthly wellness check-ins
• Collaborate with fellow CSCs and the Higher Pathways Manager to provide monthly college persistence programming
• Travel to conduct quarterly campus visits, more frequent if necessary
• Collect and review progress reports with scholars to ensure they are on track to graduate
• Empower scholars to take ownership of their education and career
• Foster community with scholars, providing scholars with a sense of belonging and trust
• Utilize SJLI’s database to track service hours, college persistence, and employment
• Guide out-of-school Alumni back to school or unemployed Alumni into their desired career fields
• Commit to supervising scholars on overnight field trips and programming
• Assist high school seniors with their transition to post-secondary education
• If needed, work with families to assist scholars in their college persistence

Team Member Competencies:

• Growth Mindset: Demonstrates a willingness to learn, adapt, and improve continuously in response to evolving youth needs and social justice landscapes.
• Mission Driven: Shows a strong commitment to SJLI’s mission and values, integrating them into all aspects of youth programming and advocacy work.
• Communication: Exhibits excellent verbal and written communication skills, adapting style to various audiences including youth, community partners, and stakeholders.
• Ownership: Takes responsibility for youth programs, outcomes, and stakeholder relationships, showing initiative and follow-through.
• Cultural Humility: Demonstrates respect and openness to diverse perspectives and experiences within the communities SJLI serves.
• Workload Management: Effectively prioritizes tasks and manages time to meet deadlines and achieve program goals.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in education, psychology, social welfare, or related field
• At least 2 years of experience in counseling, college access, or college persistence
• Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation

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