Supporting the Whole Student: A Spotlight on the Student Services Department

At Visions, we operate with a students-first mindset. Whether it’s providing counseling and mental health services, English language support, Career Technical Education opportunities, clubs, or social events, we ensure that students have continuous access to important wrap-around services.

These resources are made possible by our Student Services team, which is made up of the Counseling Services Department, the Equity & Student Engagement (EASE) Department, the Multilingual Learners program, and our Career Technical Education (CTE) program. Each of these departments provide invaluable services to our students and families.

“In my role, I have the opportunity to support a variety of key staff in the organization. This includes the Counseling, EASE, EL, and CTE Departments,” explains Matt Patterson, Director of Student Services. “I have had the incredible opportunity to be on the ground floor in the design and implementation of these departments and support systems for all of our students. I am able to collaborate with a variety of teammates and departments in strategic planning to support student success.”

Currently in his fifth year at Visions, Matt, in collaboration with other instructional and business leaders in the organization, has been able to design and develop these departments, most of which are new to Visions. In our 1% better every day pursuit, each of these teams and their staff have been carefully curated to meet a need for our students.

“Our goal as a department is to look at the unique needs of each student and collaborate with a variety of individuals to create optimal services so each student can reach their full potential,” explains Matt. “Each team member is driven to do better every single day. They are so student-focused, and each decision and move has students first in mind.”

Let’s Get Granular

Although they all fall under the Student Services umbrella, each department has a unique position and purpose in student support.

“I support our multilingual learners by developing and implementing our Title III program, as well as assisting with Title I, state and federal reporting, educational partner engagement, and teacher induction,” explains Jamee Block, our former EL Coordinator and current Associate Director of State/Federal Programs. “My role is new this year, [and] I am excited to see how it evolves to better serve our students and meet their diverse needs.”

“I’m responsible for creating and managing our CTE pathways and dual enrollment courses,” says Keenya Powell, CTE Coordinator. “I have facilitated the building of a new CTE pathway, Cybersecurity, and coordinated and managed a relationship with Los Rios Community College District to partner with Visions to bring dual enrollment courses to our students.”

In addition to academic supports, our Student Services team tends to the mental and social-emotional needs of our students.

“As a school Counseling Manager, I support our counseling team in meeting students’ educational, social-emotional, and college/career needs, ensuring they have the resources to succeed,” says Mariah Ernst-Collins, Counseling Program Manager (pictured left in photo). “Through leadership and coordination, I strive to create a positive and supportive environment for all students.”

“As the Associate Director of EASE, I am honored to have the opportunity to work with and support an amazing team that provides a multi-tiered system of support for all students and staff that includes social-emotional learning, crisis intervention, student/family engagement, Career Technical Education, and mentorship,” explains Ron Thomas, Associate Director of Equity & Student Engagement.

In support of the whole student, these teams are taking into consideration each factor that can impact student success. Regardless of race, background, or economic status, our Student Services Department helps break down the barriers for students to receive a high-quality education and get access to important individual resources.

“A big focus is to support student who historically have not received the support and services they should, innovating every day to ensure students have the tools and resources to reach their full potential. It’s truly exciting work to do with some of the most dynamic and talented folks I have ever worked alongside,” says Matt.

Don’t Forget Graduation

Since 2017, Visions’ graduations have been headed by Angelica Gallardo, former Administrative Assistant to the Director of Student Services and current Business Analyst on our Internal Data & Systems Services team. In addition to her day-to-day responsibilities supporting Director Patterson, she is the brains behind the big day, and is responsible for one of the most important, and intricate, events at Visions.

“In my former role, I supported Matt Patterson and all the members of the Student Services Department. I assisted with various programs and projects within the department, including Find Your Voice, the Steve Phelps Scholarship, 504 plans, grad checkouts, and high school graduation,” explains Angelica. “I have cherished being the frontrunner for graduation over the past seven years, and it’s bittersweet to leave that behind. However, I’m thrilled about the new opportunity that has come my way and the growth and potential it brings.”