Career Exploration in High School with the College Board

This episode features a conversation with Yoko Kono, Director of Careers and Partnerships at the College Board, and Aurelia Moss, an experienced educator and middle and high school counselor. The conversation is led by NCDA’s Celeste Hall. Celeste has a long history with NCDA including serving as the Trustee for School Counselors and Specialists on the NCDA Board.

Most people think about College Board in terms of college admissions only (i.e., PSAT, SAT). But College Board’s mission is to connect all students to opportunities after high school with a goal of providing every student with the tools to make informed decisions about their future. This conversation includes information and actionable strategies for working with high school students.

Yoko Kono, Director of Careers and Partnerships at the College Board, has dedicated nearly a decade to the organization. Her focus lies in creating research-backed resources that empower students by enhancing their awareness of diverse career paths. With 15+ years of experience across U.S. and international contexts and a master’s degree in International Comparative Education from Stanford University, Yoko brings a wealth of insights to her role in advancing career and educational opportunities for students worldwide.

Aurelia Moss is a retired high school counselor with more than 32 years of experience as a Mathematics teacher, School Counselor, and Assistant Principal. As a school counselor, Aurelia was known for her passion in assisting students in post-secondary planning, regardless of the career paths they desired to pursue. During her career, Aurelia has served in the public and private school sectors, elementary, middle school, high school, rural, suburban, and urban settings. Aurelia credits her high school counselor, Mrs. Wilhelmina Dean at Savannah High School in Savannah, Georgia for guidance that she provided during Aurelia’s college admissions and financial aid process. Aurelia serves on the Chatham County Department of Family and Children Services Board of Directors and the Advisory Board for Tharros Place, a residential shelter for teenage girls that are survivors of human trafficking. Aurelia is a member of the Georgia School Counselors Association.

Celeste Hall, Coordinator of Career Coaching Certification for Virginia’s Community Colleges is a life-long educator. She currently provides training for career coaches, academic advisors, faculty and staff in career development concepts. She has been a teacher and counselor in K-12 schools and taught career development courses at the master’s degree level. Leadership roles in NCDA have included state chapter president, K-12 representative on the FCD Advisory Council, (now TEC) and the Board of Directors. She currently serves as the Credentialing Commissioner for the Certified School Career Development Advisor credential and as the editor for the K-12 section of NCDA’s Career Developments magazine.

RESOURCES

• College Board 
• BigFuture
• BigFuture-NCDA Family and Caring Adult  Table Talk Guide to Student Career Exploration and Planning - (PDF) – a College Board and NCDA collaboration 
• BigFuture Counselor Toolkit
• Career Insights Snapshot – connecting PSAT scores to high-demand careers at the state-level (coming Spring 2024)