Staff Highlight: Katrina Venta
Planning for your end goal with a college degree can be just as important as every other step of an educational journey. Figuring out what your finalized goals are and how to reach them can be a difficult process, especially if you’re still in high school and undecided about your career goals.
It’s a journey Katrina Venta had to make when her family came to America and was put into high school with little to no guidance.
“I came in as a freshman in high school and it was, in many ways, some of the most traumatic experiences of my life,” said Venta, the Coordinator of Concurrent Enrollment Success at the Community College of Aurora.
Education was not easy for Venta, who immigrated from the Philippines to Hawaii with her family in 2006. Navigating through high school on her own was challenging. It wasn’t until she met with a counselor that Venta got the support she needed to make sense of high school and plan for her education beyond graduation.
Venta finds herself in a similar situation in 2023. Only this time, she’s the advisor helping high school students.
“I am currently the advisor for high school students taking college classes here at the CCA campus,” Venta said. Her CCA career began in 2018, when she started as a part-time college recruiter. Up until 2021, Venta worked with recruitment and orientation. Though she loved the position, she was looking for a new way to serve CCA and students.
“I was seeking opportunities outside of recruitment and that was when the coordinator position came up,” Venta said. “It was something I would absolutely love to do. I’ve always wanted to work with high school students.”
Concurrent Enrollment at CCA is a partnership between the college and high school districts that allows high school students to enroll in college credit courses on the CCA campus. High school students who take advantage of this program can save money on their college education, reduce the amount of time spent completing college courses, and transfer their credits to any public college in Colorado.
For high school students who are interested in furthering their education at the college level, concurrent enrollment is an effective program for getting a headstart.
Venta knows firsthand that smart, capable students may struggle to find success through high school and college. She uses her own experiences to help guide and mentor young students
“It took me 10 years to figure out what I wanted to do,” Venta said. “I'm just trying to survive in a new country and I don't know how to navigate any of these things just yet, let alone choose a career that essentially will determine the rest of my life, you know? So I have learned to really just be gentle with myself. One of the things that I really want people to know is that your journey is your own. It’s OK to take your time, especially for, you know, an immigrant like me.”
Students who have questions about concurrent enrollment or need some guidance can contact her at katrina.venta@ccaurora.edu or call 303.340.7714.
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