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The New Jersey Association for College Admission Counseling advocates and supports ethical and professional practice in helping students transition to careers and postsecondary education.

June Update from the President

Happy Summer!! I hope you have been able to find some time to relax as the school year has finally wound down.  

It has been a busy first month serving as President of NJACAC with lots to share about what we have been up to and some things to look forward to as well!

NJACAC Rainbow Key During Pride Month!
I am proud to say we have held our inaugural Rainbow Key event on June 16th & 17th!  Based on our College Key event, Rainbow Key seeks to ‘unlock the barriers to college and provide the keys to success at navigating the process as an LGBTQ+ student.’  Access and equity are extremely important to NJACAC, and I am so excited we now have THREE annual events designed to educate underrepresented students on the college process: Camp College, College Key, and Rainbow Key.

To kick off the event, we held a design contest for a Rainbow Key logo.  The winning design (shown above) was submitted by Ky Park, a High School student from Ocean, NJ!  We were excited by the ability to not only educate a new group of students but to showcase student innovation as well!

Reflecting on Juneteenth
This year, Juneteenth was officially designated a federal holiday and while acknowledgment is an important step, many more steps are needed to dismantle systemic racism.  

During our annual conference, our IAS (Inclusion, Access, Support) committee, led by our current President-Elect Sarah Smith, hosted a book discussion of ‘Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria.’  This session was one of the most widely attended  at the conference and was extremely well received.

Continuing the work within our organization of education and self-reflection, we are hosting a virtual summer book club, reading ‘Stamped From the Beginning,’ by Ibram X Kendi.  Dr Kendi was a keynote speaker at the virtual NACAC last September.  We will be discussing the book in 3 different sessions:

• Part I & Part II – June 30th at 10 am
• Part III & Part IV – July 30th at 10 am
• Part X – August 30th at 10 am

I have purchased the audiobook and have thoroughly enjoyed Part I & II.  I would also like to point out you are still welcome to join in on the discussions!  Even if you can’t make it to the first round, you are welcome to catch up and join us in July & August!  If you are interested, you can fill out this form and the zoom links will be shared with you.  Discussions like these help us all to better ourselves and our profession.  

#NJACAC21 – The Superhero Within
Thank you to everyone who attended our virtual conference this year!  Thank you to all of our presenters and panelists.  A huge thank you to all of my committee members and collaborators.  I am extremely proud of this event and you all were responsible for making it so special.  

The recorded sessions are still available on the conference website!  Anyone who registered has access and can watch sessions they missed or rewatch one they found particularly impactful until August 31st!

The Conference Committee is already hard at work brainstorming new ideas for #NJACAC22 and we have every intention of gathering again in person!

Getting Involved!
On June 14th, we hosted a virtual meeting via zoom to provide information about open positions and areas where volunteers are needed.  We are always looking for more volunteers, LIKE YOU,  so if you missed this meeting, don’t fret!  Our plan is to hold a second Volunteer Interest Meeting this fall. Whether you have a few hours to give, or a few days, whether your skills are in editing, photographing, or hosting events, we have a way for you to get involved. 

In addition, all of our committees are listed on our website.  If you are interested in getting involved or just learning more, please email me at president@njacac.org

The Executive Board will be meeting for our annual board retreat on July 19th & 20th.  We will be using this time to brainstorm new initiatives and refresh existing ones.  I am particularly looking to create additional ways for us all to interact more!  I want everyone to know that YOU are welcome here.  You are all welcome to be an active part of this organization, to volunteer and to give back to your community at some of the aforementioned events.  You are welcome to interact with other colleagues virtually and/or in person at events beyond the annual conference.  

Camp College 2021 
I will end by highlighting one of NJACAC’s signature Programs, entering its ELEVENTH year, Camp College! Camp College will be held virtually on July 27th, 28th & 29th from 11 AM – 1 PM. 

Our traditionally overnight Camp College program will once again be virtual this year.  That doesn’t mean your students won’t feel like they attended an all encompassing college empowerment boot camp!  This program is geared towards rising Juniors and Seniors looking to get a leg up and a head start on their college process.  

To help your students apply, you can direct them to our event Instagram page @CampCollegeNJ to fill out the link in our bio.  You can also use our LinkTree to find the student application OR sign up to be a volunteer!

We hope to see you or your students there! Signing out for now friends, but I look forward to all we will accomplish this next year!

All the Best,
Michael Cartusciello
NJACAC President, 2021-22

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