This spring, students at Sonoma State University had the opportunity to step outside the classroom and into meaningful dialogue with local high school students as part of the College Conversations Project, a service-learning collaboration between SSU and Rancho Cotate High School (RCHS).

While volunteering during college may seem nearly impossible given the delicate balance of classes and extracurricular activities, some SSU students made it happen this Spring 2025.

"I've sort of lucked out in being able to get into the field that I've always envisioned myself to be in, right after school," says Kara Doolin, 2010 graduate.

"School counseling is more than simply meeting with students. It is vital that school counselors be advocates for the profession."

-Shana Friedman, SSU Alumni School Counselor for Youth Build Santa Rosa