Angela Koponen, director of Co-Curricular and Operations Assessment, gave a presentation about career planning and development to a group of about 60 AVID students on Sept. 19 at her alma mater, Quincy Senior High School in Quincy, Illinois. Koponen discussed the importance of high school and post-secondary education, attributes of a top job candidate, and best practices for developing a career plan.

AVID, which stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination, "is a global nonprofit organization that operates with one guiding principle: Hold students accountable to the highest standards, provide academic and social support, and they will rise to the challenge."

Greg Altmix, the event organizer and one of three AVID instructors at QSHS, appreciated Koponen's visit. "It was good for the students to hear some of these things from someone besides us [teachers]."