What is happening to the College and Career Center?

Kingston Sussman and Charlie Facciuto

May 5, 2026

Ms. Patricia Roberts is retiring at the end of the year – what’s going to happen?

At VHS, the College and Career center is going to be changing due to the counselor, Patricia Roberts, retiring this June.

Due to her retirement the VUSD school board decided to reduce the College & Career Center Counselor position to part-time only. Roberts said, “There will be a loss of services to our students, but it’s not clear where the impact will be felt most. I worry that our most under-resourced families may be the ones who feel it most, and that some students could quietly miss out on the support they need. At the same time, I am actively working to partner with community organizations to help bring in programs that can continue to provide some of these supports. I don’t think I’ll have much influence on who fills the position. Although I’m happy to be a part of the process. There are a lot of factors at play since the other counseling staff reductions may cause ‘bumping’ based on seniority in the district.” This could affect students’ college choices, job application/filing, internships, and other student based programs.

The College and Career Center’s goal is to help students apply to colleges, get scholarships, find internships, apply for jobs, and more. Photo by: Kingston Sussman

There is no decision yet on who the part-time counselor will be and Roberts will not have influence on who fills the position. She has said she is happy to be a part of the process: “I will miss so much about VHS—especially the students. Working with you all has brought me an incredible amount of joy over the years. I have truly loved my role as a counselor, from the early days of supporting an alpha caseload and building lasting relationships with students and families over time. It has been an honor to walk alongside young people during such an important and formative time in their lives, helping them navigate challenges, discover their strengths, and plan for their futures. I feel very fortunate to have been part of this community and to have shared so many meaningful moments along the way. I hope to stay connected by volunteering during college application season or stepping in as a substitute if the need arises.”

“She’s really nice and overall really helpful. She helped me a lot with Moorpark College applications.” said Kisha Mavansa ‘26.

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About the Contributors

Kingston Sussman, Staffer

Kingston Sussman is a junior at VHS and in his first year of The Cougar Press. When writing, he’s always looking for the truth. Kingston doesn’t believe in masking the truth or hiding facts because the people have a right to know what is happening in their world. Our lives are constantly changing so he hopes you’ll allow him to help guide you through our evershafting world, whether it’s politically, physically or mentally. Kingston will bring you the good, the bad and the best tasting recipes or food he can provide or make.

Charlie Facciuto, Staffer

Charlie Facciuto, called Charles as a joke by close friends, is a freshman in their first year at The Cougar Press. They enjoy theatre and learning German (bear with them please while they’re learning the ropes).