COS Transfer and Career Center: Guiding Students to Success

Vanessa Niño, Campus Features Writer

October 26, 2024

Liz Garcia Wong

College of the Sequoias has been providing extensive support to its students through a series of workshops and resources designed to guide them through applying to California State Universities. Liz Garcia Wong, the Transfer and Career Center Coordinator at COS, has been at the forefront, leveraging her own experience as a first-generation student to ensure that students receive the hands-on support they need.

“Our workshops are designed to help students have that hands-on support,” Wong explained. “Going to your parent, they’re like, ‘I don’t know’…some of our students may not have that support at home. So, we provide those workshops, and even if they do, the questions can be a little bit tricky. We want to make sure that the process, even though it may seem intimidating, remove any barriers, remove any intimidation that they may feel, and walk them through the process.”

To make the process smoother, the Transfer and Career Center has implemented several strategies. They provide laptops for students who may not have their own. Additionally, they have created a calming environment where students can work through their applications without distractions. “We have workshops for CSU applications, Career exploration workshops, and many more” Wong continued. “We have students applying right now for fall 2025 admissions. So, we have workshops from October, throughout November, and this year, the deadline was extended to December 2, so we added that workshop or a drop-in lab for December 2 to help students who might still be trying to get that in.”

Common mistakes that students make during the application process include selecting the wrong term and inputting coursework incorrectly. “One of the most common mistakes is when you apply to the application, you have to select the term, and oftentimes they select the wrong term,” Wong noted. Another issue is when students input all their courses under one term or one semester. “So, part of the hands-on workshop is walking around and answering questions that they may have. But also checking to see, like, how their progress is going and trying to catch those things if they relax, and help students time on that,” Wong added.

With students uncertain about their major, the Career Workshops could provide students with tools to navigate career exploration through its series of workshops. These sessions include assessments that help students uncover their personality traits and strengths, which can align with potential careers and majors. Wong also highlighted the presence of, Amanda Thomas, a dedicated staff member, who is on the Visalia Campus, as well as visiting the Tulare campus twice a month and Hanford once a month to facilitate these workshops, ensuring that students across different campuses have access to these resources.

For students looking for additional support, Wong recommended signing up for the Transfer and Career Center’s Canvas courses. “We have two. We have one for students who are close to transfer. We mean that they have 30 plus transferable units. So, we invite those students to join our transfer-ready course. And then we also have students who are not quite at the 30-plus transferable units’ stage, but we also want to put out information to anyone interested in transfer, and that’s our transfer 101 Canvas resource course. So, if students sign up for those, they’ll get information about what’s going on in the transfer world.”

For students unsure about their transfer status, such as those pursuing an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) or traditional transfer, Wong emphasized the importance of meeting with a counselor. “It’s important that students do meet with the counselor beforehand so that you can verify how you’re transferring. And if you’re doing a traditional transfer, now there’s the ability that students can transfer as a lower division transfer or upper division transfer. So, they must know what information the counselor can provide.”

When asked about advice for making a CSU application stand out, Wong pointed out that unlike the University of California application, which includes personal insight questions, the CSU application does not offer the same opportunity to showcase personality. “For CSU, there isn’t that. So, the main thing is to do your best in the classes. Sometimes students get a little bit nervous about getting a W (Withdrawn). How is that going to reflect? Is my whole life ruined because I got a W or are my chances ruined? And the answer is no.”

Wong concluded the interview by addressing the pressure students often feel to finish their degrees in two years. “Every student has a unique path. I took five years to finish my bachelor’s degree and I’m doing okay. So, just kind of taking a deep breath and I had a few Ws too. And there was a semester that I didn’t do so well because my dad got diagnosed with cancer. And so, you know, life happened, and life is happening to our students. So, it’s okay to slow down because there could be speed bumps in your journey, and that’s okay. And what do you do when you hit a speed bump, you slow down. And it’s okay to slow down. I did, and it took me five years, and that’s okay.”

With workshops, resources, and the guidance of experienced professionals like Liz Garcia Wong, students can navigate the application process with confidence, knowing they have the support they need to achieve their academic goals.

For more information, please visit the website Transfer Career Services or contact the Transfer & Career Center.