Never too early to start looking ahead

Pair of English teachers at Watertown High get high marks for running College & Career Readiness Club

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Raider Times photo / Betzaida Solano Ramos

Watertown High English teachers Jessica DePamphilis (left) and JoAnne Spagnulo run the College & Career Readiness Club.

Betzaida Solano Ramos, Raider Times staff

There comes a time in everyone’s life where they say, “What am I going to do after high school?”and then start to worry and don’t know who to talk to. 

Well, JoAnne Spagnuolo and Jessica DePamphilis are English teachers at Watertown High School and they run a club called The College & Career Readiness Club. 

On alternating mornings, they meet before school for 30 minutes twice a week and encourage students to come by. They focus on  career on Mondays and Wednesdays, and college on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:45-8:15 a.m. in Room 327 and Room 349. Students are welcome to drop in whenever for support.

For career readiness, they help students with resumes, cover letters, and job applications. For college readiness, they help students with college essays, writing supplements, and applying to school. There are some similarities in the clubs except one is for school and the other is for work!

When asked what made them want to start this club, Ms. Spagnuolo said, “We wanted to develop clubs to help support students with whatever they want to pursue after high school. Whether it be college, trade school, or entering the workforce, we want students to feel prepared.”

They say many students have been coming into the club for help with their college essays and they do believe students enjoy getting help! Most students meet individually with the teachers to discuss what they want to do.

They said they’ve been running variations of each club for years and “we’ve consistently had students come to ask for help.” 

Ms. Spagnuolo and Ms. DePamphilis are great teachers and great people to talk to about life in general. I had them for English my sophomore year and they always provided me with the help I needed. They can too if you let them, and you should!

–Dec. 3, 2022–