Inside The Hawk’s Nest

A student may go their whole high school career without meeting everyone in their graduating class, let alone the whole school. However, everybody can bond over the same stress of having to figure out post-high school plans. How are students possibly supposed to manage all these responsibilities? The answer to this collective problem lies in the Hawk’s Nest. The Hawk’s Nest refers to the room at the back of the cafeteria that houses ACIT’s own, Ms. Victoria Ragone.

Ms. Ragone started her career at ACIT in 2011 as a general guidance counselor. Along with 12 other employees, she was part of one of the biggest new-hires ACIT has ever seen. With only 600 students walking the halls of ACIT at that time, Ragone was only in charge of the freshmen and sophomores. As the school quickly expanded, however, she was upgraded to all grade levels, then strictly sophomores, juniors, and seniors, before finally ending up where she is now: serving as ACIT’s college and career counselor.

Throughout her eleven years at this school, she has placed her efforts in various clubs and activities, such as Ski and Snowboard Club, Dance Club, Mr. Redhawk, and the talent show. She also attends ACIT sporting events whenever possible. Needless to say, Ms. Ragone is an excellent example of school pride.

Born and raised locally in Atlantic County, Ms. Ragone attended Holy Spirit High School.

“I did not receive a ton of guidance on what my college choice should be, or what I should be doing. However, I will tell you, in the fifth grade, I knew I wanted to be a guidance counselor.”

After applying to various schools, she landed on Arcadia University in Pennsylvania as a psychology major and studied abroad in various countries in Europe.

For those unaware, the college and career counselor functions as the bridge between students and the colleges they dream of attending. Ms. Ragone oversees various programs such as Dual Enrollment, the ACCC Jumpstart Program, ASVAB testing, Financial Aid Night, NJ STARS, college fairs, and articulation agreements.

Most importantly, she is always happy to answer questions any student may have about their future. Even students concerned about bothering her with any questions can rest assured that she is more than happy to help any and all students.

“For me, I love talking about the future, and plans for the future. I’m very goal-oriented in my personal life and my professional life, so being able to utilize the skills that I have and assist students with that, and helping them figure out who they are, that’s the highlight.”

So what advice does Ms. Ragone have for students stressing over college plans? With college being such a different world than highschool, and struggling not only to find the right one, but to get accepted and transition into the adult world, it’s best to take a step back, take a deep breath, and relax. For as constricting as the high school grind may seem, there is room to relax. The best thing students can do for themselves–and for Ms. Ragone–is to communicate with her, and stay updated on any emails she, or any other guidance counselor may send your way.

However, Ms. Ragone’s office is not just called the College Planning Center; it is the College and Career Planning Center. So no matter what personal or professional goals one may have, Ms. Ragone is always eager to assist. If college doesn’t sound appealing to an individual, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Ms. Ragone is just as eager to help students find their way in the workforce or the military as she is for those attending college.

When it comes to those students who choose not to go to college, Ms. Ragone thinks, “those students know themselves, and I think if you’re able to look in the mirror and say, ‘I know this person, I like that person, I like where they’re going,’ I think that’s great.” One thing she does recommend is to perhaps go to ACCC and take some business classes just to get familiar with how the world really works.

And how about our freshmen and sophomores? Believe it or not, they’re not exempt from this conversation. Freshmen and sophomores may think that they can get away with not doing much for college applications right now, but that would be a mistake. While there is no need for stressing out over college applications this early in your high school career, it is a good idea to get a head start on what you hope to include in your college application come junior and senior year. Ms. Ragone highly recommends volunteering in those initial years; and utilizing Naviance will really help, especially with building a resume.

Ms. Ragone understands that adjusting to being back in school is tricky. There is the regular school work, and meetings with the individual guidance counselors, all on top of personal matters. So thinking about going to see this “extra guidance counselor” may not be at the forefront of everyone’s minds. But, when you’re ready, Ms. Ragone will always be right in the lunchroom, in The Hawk’s Nest, ready for you. Many students have commented on her room to be a “vibe”, but the environment she has created in her office is just one of the many things Ms. Ragone has brought to ACIT throughout her years here.