College and Career Pathways for Teens & Families
“There’s so much money out there that goes unclaimed. I tell students, ‘You probably can afford college. Yes! If you want to, there’s always a way. Don’t let that discourage you from following your dreams and becoming whatever you want to be.’” – Emely Villanueva
Meet Emely Villanueva, the Teens Services and Engagement Librarian with the Appleton Public Library (APL) in Wisconsin. Born to a family of readers in San Francisco, some of her fondest memories include visiting her grandpa in Mexico and watching him read out on the front porch. Emely developed a love for education and helping others early on and has since obtained her Bachelor of Social Work and Executive Master of Public Administration. She was working in higher education, connecting students to academic resources and career opportunities, prior to her current library role. She describes her librarianship as the best marriage between her love of reading, education, and helping others.
Applying her professional background in higher education, she launched the College and Career Pathways (CCP) Series in early 2020 at APL. The series collaborates with colleges and professionals to provide assistance and resources that educate teens and families on college processes and career options. The goal is to make the future seem less daunting to teens and empower them to make their own informed decisions. Workshops and webinars in the CCP series include some of the following:
Career Success Services for Teens
Funding Your Future
DACA Funding
College and Scholarship Essay Writing
How to Create a Successful Resume and LinkedIn Profile
How to Ace that Interview
Collegiate Week featuring various colleges and professionals
Through the series, Emely has seen community interest in learning how to apply for financial aid and scholarships, how to claim dependency with separated parents, and the academic grades needed to attend college. It is telling that the series has made an impact on teens and families based on the feedback received from surveys and comment cards.
Come listen to the full podcast recording to learn more about the importance of college and career pathways services in libraries. Emely discusses the need along with the challenges and rewards of starting the service during a pandemic. If you have any follow up questions or would like to connect with Emely, her contact is evillanueva@apl.org.