College & Career Support

Janet Blanford, Director of Secondary Success, College & Career Readiness

Email:  janet.blanford@highlineschools.org

Janet oversees the Secondary Success and College and Career Readiness (SSCCR) department. Janet also centrally supports secondary counselors. The SSCCR team collaborates with Central Office and school staff to develop and implement strategies to ensure students are known by name, strength and need and that they get the support they need to graduate prepared for success in the future they choose.

Sativah Jones, College Readiness Manager 

Email: sativah.jones@highlineschools.org

Sativah oversees the central office and school based college and career access specialist, pathway coach, and college access program teams. She supports all major college and career initiatives including post-secondary pathway exploration, Naviance, financial aid, field trips, and major events. Sativah also processes all new course and course equivalency requests.

Aileen Velasquez-Soto, College Access Specialist

Email: aileen.velasquezsoto@highlineschools.org

Aileen serves as the project manager for districtwide large-scale college and career-related events including graduation, CollegeCon, FutureU, DiscoverU, and more. Aileen supports college access through event support and coordination, and by maintaining the district’s college and career exploration tool, Naviance. Contact Aileen with questions about Naviance, partnerships, and post-secondary opportunities.

Xulie Olivos, Career Access Specialist

Email: alejandra.olivos@highlineschools.org

Xulie serves as the project manager for districtwide large-scale career events such as STEM Fest, Speed Networking, and much more.  Xulie supports career access programming through event support, coordination and communications, and collaborates with schools, businesses and community partners to support high school students in making informed decisions about their futures through career exploration. Contact Xulie if you have questions about career trips, internships or other career readiness events and programs.

Monica Bracelen, Programmatic Grants Manager

Email: monica.bracelen@highlineschools.org

Monica serves as the GEAR UP grant director and as project manager for other Secondary Success initiatives. She partners with Highline College to place 40+ tutors in middle and high schools. The tutors are college students who work in our classes and after-school programs for homework help. Monica coordinates the middle school bilingual event, La Chispa, which supports Latinx students on their college-going journey. Monica is also the district lead for Middle School Summer Scholars, coordinating summer programming for the district's five comprehensive middle schools. Contact Monica with questions about college tutors, La Chispa, Middle School Summer Scholars and GEAR UP. 

Maile Valu, Secondary Specialist

Email: maile.valu@highlineschools.org

Maile supports the Advisory program for secondary schools (middle and high schools). She also coordinates the High School & Beyond Plan (HSBP) for the district and is the main school contact for Naviance, our district’s college and career readiness platform. Maile’s time with SSCCR is also split with the Social Emotional Learning department. She holds a School Counseling ESA and worked as a high school counselor in the district before transitioning to this role. In her free time, you can find her enjoying nature, spending time with family, and cooking.

Alicia Rodriguez, Program Specialist

Email: alicia.rodriguez@highlineschools.org

As a project specialist, Alicia supports college and career access through event support, coordination and collaboration with schools to support high school students in making informed decisions about the future they choose.

Alicia also supports Team Read through recruitment, hiring and training of teen coaches who work with our elementary readers. 

Contact Alicia if you have questions about internships, college and career readiness events, and Team Read.

Dana Carmichael, Secondary Specialist

Email: dana.carmichael-tanaka@highlineschools.org

Dana serves as a Secondary Specialist, managing AmeriCorps members placed as Success Coaches in high schools. Dana collaborates with middle and high school success deans to ensure students are successful and on-track for graduation. Dana also works to make sure the AmeriCorps Success Coach program reaches its desired outcomes. Please contact her if you have questions about High School Success Coaches or Success Deans at Highline's nine secondary campuses.

Emily Kuhn, Secondary Success Specialist

Email: emily.kuhn@highlineschools.org

Emily serves as a Secondary Success Specialist, managing a partnership with Washington Service Corps and supervising AmeriCorps members throughout the district. She collaborates with Success Deans to make sure the AmeriCorps Success Coach program reaches its desired outcomes. Please contact her if you have questions about middle school Success Coaches or Reengagement Coaches at the high school level.