The Counselor - Central Valley Christian Schools

February 2013
The Counselor
A College Counseling Newsletter for our CVC Families
Greater, part 1 page 2
Stand Out This Summer page 4
Check Out the Scholarships that Are Available… page 5
Step-by-Step FAFSA Tutorial page 6
Juniors in January
...see page 5
If you know any current 8th graders
or transfer students who would like to
know more about CVC High School,
have them register online for the
6th Annual Cavalier Preview Day
ACT Test Prep
...see page 5
College Acceptances
...see page 3
Freshmen 4-Year-Plans
...see page 2
New SCHOLARSHIP
OPPORTUNITIES ...see page 6
...see the
entire
calendar
on page 2
Are you going to
COS this fall?
...see page 5
Are you
ready to
ignite the
vision that
God has
for you?
...see
page 2
A publication of the Central Valley Christian High School Counseling Center
Mrs. Reeves College and Guidance Counselor 559-734-9481 ext 136 lreeves@cvc.org
Mr. Langmaack Guidance Counselor 559-734-9481 ext 133 klangmaack@cvc.org

Page 2
GREATER:
Dream bigger. Start Smaller. Ignite God’s vision for your life.
In his book, Greater, Steven Furtick calls people to not strive for a good or even
great life...but to live GREATER. It is not about being better or knowing more
or having more opportunities. It is not about getting into a certain college or
landing a certain job. It is not about doing what we hope to do. It is about
following. Trusting God one step at a time and following His direction no matter
what. Even if it seems weird or uncomfortable. Even if it means not being able
to do what we have always wanted.
In the Old Testament we read of Elisha, a wealthy farmer plowing in the field
when Elijah comes along and places his cloak on Elisha. Elisha understands in
that moment that he can stay and enjoy his normal, comfortable, routine life.
He may even be considering having a family and building a better house.
Elisha also understands in that moment that he is being called to a life of trusting and following God
with no promises of comfort or security.
Elisha makes an important decision to walk away from a good life so that he can live GREATER. He
burns the plow and sacrifices the oxen as a sign that he is not staying in the safe life that he has
envisioned for himself. Instead he is committing to trusting God with his life and future. He chooses to
ignite God’s vision for his life. Furtick writes this about choosing to burn your plow and follow God into
GREATER: “It’s drastic to cut ties with the thing that is chaining you to a life you’ve become
comfortable with. But I promise you, the real risk isn’t in launching out into a new life of greater
things. It’s staying in your old life of the ordinary.”
COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITY
Habit for Humanity’s Adopt A Highway Program: The trash pick up on a
Saturday morning from 8:00 to noon. Students must be at least 16 years of
age and strong enough to walk several miles and carry a large bag.
If you are interested, call Geri De Jong 731-6524.
Freshman 4-Year-Plans
As of February 1st we have had 22
plans completed. If you have not
scheduled your 4-year-plan meeting
yet please call Mr. Langmaack
ASAP at 734-9841 ext 133.
These plans must be completed in
February!
CALENDAR
February 8: COS Application
Workshop (page 5)
February 13: Farm Show – No
School
February 18: President’s Day – No School
February 22-24: High School Breakout Week
Looking Ahead:
March 2: ACT Seminar for juniors at CVCHS from
9am-3pm. See page

College Acceptances
Mikaela Sears:
Azusa Pacific
Taylor Boyle:
Westmont
Ben Martin:
CSU, Fresno
Brent Kamper:
Dordt College
Angela Jacobsma: Dordt College
Kyle Vizzolini:
Cal Poly, SLO
Hans Gilkey:
Cal Poly, SLO
Marilyn VanBeek: Cal Poly, SLO
Rhett Anderson: Northern Arizona University
Michael Rosa:
San Diego State University
Savanah Garbani: Arizona State University
Cameron Kawato: Texas Christian University
Alexa Blundell: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Rachel Postmus: Biola University, Azusa Pacific
Tyler Thomas:
Westmont, Azusa Pacific University
Connor Branderhorst: CSU, Fullerton; CSU, Fresno
KatieGrace Schotanus: Point Loma Nazarene University
Katie Udell:
Westmont,
Point Loma Nazarene University
Maddi DiMeo:
CSU, Bakersfield;
CSU, Stanislaus;
Providence Christian
Austin Moons:
Texas Christian University,
Colorado State University
KariAnne Aukeman: Abilene Christian;
Azusa Pacific,
Calvin College,
Westmont
Ted Greidanus: CSU, Fresno;
CSU, Fullerton;
Point Loma Nazarene University
Megan Taylor:
Azusa Pacific,
Point Loma Nazarene University,
Cal Baptist University
CaseyVanderham: Arizona State University,
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University
Lauren Walters: Texas Christian University,
Point Loma Nazarene University,
Westmont
Tara Zwart:
Calvin College,
Texas Christian University,
Point Loma Nazarene University,
Westmont,
Page 3
Seniors! Remember ~ when you receive your acceptances, please stop by the
Counseling Center to sign our window!

Page 4
STAND OUT THIS SUMMER
It seems crazy to be thinking about summer in January, but now really is the right time to be
sifting through and discussing summer opportunities. Why is what a student does over the
summer important?
There are 28,000-plus high schools across the United States. That means there are 28,000 senior
class presidents, 28,000 newspaper editors and thousands of athletes applying to colleges every
year. During the academic year it’s challenging for students to set themselves apart. Starting a
new club, organization or company is distinctive, but not everyone is cut out to be an
entrepreneur. But the summer, with no homework, no club meetings and an open agenda, is a
time when students can dig deeper, follow their passions, make a bigger commitment and
demonstrate their interest in a defined way.
Have a passion? There’s a summer opportunity for that. For students who have always
enjoyed creative writing but have found it difficult to find the time during the school year to write
and submit their work to magazines, then the summer is a great time to explore that interest in
more depth. There are programs galore for budding engineers – ones that focus on specialized
areas of engineering and others that offer more of a survey course, introducing students to many
engineering careers. Besides the link to a possible future careers, these programs are a
wonderful way for high school students to experience campus life by living in dormitories, eating in
the dining hall and having a large degree of independence.
What if you want to take the summer off from academics? I often tell families that leadership
is the single most sought-after transferrable skill from high school to college. Colleges need to
replenish their leadership roles each year and look favorably on leadership experience in high
school. Colleges rightly assume that if students rose through the ranks to become leaders in a
high school club, activity or organization, the likelihood is that they will utilize those same skills at
college. Check with your high school about leadership programs.
What are some things to watch out for as you plan your summer? If you’re a little skeptical
upon receiving invitations to programs that proclaim “You’ve been selected from among
thousands of high school students…,” you have good instincts. Read the fine print; understand
the costs involved and the specifics of what the program is offering. Many of these programs are
interesting, but some are expensive summer camps disguised as a direct entry to the Ivy League.
Creating a patchwork of summer experiences, including paid employment, is always a great
compromise.
Article Adapted by: Lee Bierer,( Jan. 29, 2013)
Click here to view 179 Summer Opportunities!
DORDT COLLEGE – SAVE THE DATE
A California Visit Weekend to Dordt
for 2013 and 2014 High School Graduates.
Dates: March 21-23, 2013
Chaperoned by an adult from the Visalia area.
Approximate Cost: $250 – includes roundtrip airfare, meals,
lodging and event passes at Dordt College.
Call Dordt College to register for the trip: 712-722-6080.

Check Out These Scholarships that are Available Each Month
Page 5
February | March | April | May | June | July | August
September | October | November | December
We all know that college is painfully expensive. But if you work at it, you can get
thousands of dollars from third-party companies and organizations to help pay
for your education. Don't delay your scholarship search. Many deadlines
come long before you receive financial aid offers from colleges. In the list below,
you'll find 19 scholarships ranging in value from $300 to $30,000 that expire in
January. So be sure to have fun over winter break, but also spend a little time
hunting down scholarship dollars. For each scholarship, you'll find links to additional
information at Cappex.com, an excellent free website that provides college
and scholarship matching services.
Article adapted by Allen Grove
ACT TEST PREP SEMINAR ~ SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 2013 AT CVCHS
REGISTER AT: www.zaps.com or call 1-800-927-8378
5 hours of classroom instruction
Highly effective tips and strategies
A comprehensive study guide
24 practice test workouts
JUNIORS!
Attention Juniors: If you have
not met with Mrs. Reeves for a
Juniors-In-January appointment,
please see her ASAP!
COS-BOUND STUDENTS
If you will be attending COS as a
freshman this coming fall, please see
Mrs. Reeves ASAP to sign up to
attend the Application Workshop.
When: Friday, February 8
Where: Library Computer Lab
Time: 8th Period

Page 6
STEP-BY-STEP FAFSA TUTORIAL
The March 2 nd deadline to complete and file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid will
be here before we know it! Whether you are planning to begin at a four-year college, a
community college, or an accredited technical school (such as U.T. I.) ~ submitting the
FAFSA is key to the opportunity to receiving grants, some scholarships, work study, or federal
student loans as part of your financial aid package.
If you have not applied for a Person Identification Number
(PIN) …do this ASAP at www.pin.ed.gov. The PIN serves
as your electronic signature in order to submit your
FAFSA. You will need a PIN for your student and for one
parent. (It may take a couple of days to receive your PINs)
If you have not filled out the FAFSA before and are a bit intimidated by the thought of it, the
tutorial created by UC Santa Barbara is a great step-by-step learning opportunity for you.
Go to: https://www.finaid.ucsb.edu/Media/FAFSASimplification/index.html
Even if you “think you don’t qualify,” I highly recommend
submitting it anyway! Go to www.fafsa.gov to begin filling
out your FAFSA.
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Schuil Family Endowed Scholarship: Scholarship available for CVC High
School students interested in attending Fresno Pacific University. Application
available on-line at http://scholarships.fresno.edu. If you have any questions,
contact Nicole Linder at 453-2058 or nicole.linder@fresno.edu
Tulare County Dairywomen Scholarship: Available for a student who is interested in pursuing an
agricultural major (must have a minimum 3.0 GPA in order to apply). Application is available in
the Counseling Center and due by March 29, 2013.
Tulare County Farm Bureau Scholarships: Application is available in the Counseling Center and
must be submitted by March 1, 2013.
World Wide Sires, LTD: Scholarship is available for a student pursuing an Ag-related major at a
four-year college or university. Application is available in the Counseling Center and is due by
March 29, 2013.
Sons of Norway - Stordalen Lodge Scholarship: $200.00 scholarship available for students with
a 3.0 or higher and will be attending an accredited institution of higher learning in the Fall of
2013. Applications are available in the Counseling Center and due by March 1, 2013