By Taylor Tracy
From owning four kickboxing gyms to heading Branford High School’s career and pathways program, Tina Valaouras knows what it takes for students to succeed in their after high school plans, whether it’s jobs, internships, college visits and so much more.
Valaouras helps set up college visits as well as career visits through Naviance to help students get a better insight into what they want to do and where they want to go. She also has career cards if you stop by her office in the counseling department.
Valaourus took over as the Career and Pathways Coordinator this year after the retirement of Pam Castro.
As the Career and Pathways Coordinator, Valaouras also provides seniors with an internship program which runs from May 8 to June 9, in which students can go off into a work environment for 35 hours of unpaid work to get experience in a field they may want to work in. Her office is in the Career Center behind the Guidance Department.
“Yes, do an internship,” Valaouras said. “Doing an internship can really change your perspective on what you want to do.”
Her daughter, Kallista, went through the program last year originally planning on being an undecided major until she interned at Tisko Elementary and found her passion in teaching
Valaouras went to college at the University of Connecticut to study marketing and accounting where she had landed a job at a computer program. Later on she ended up deciding to open four kickboxing gyms while her kids went to school.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she had to sell two and then completely close the other two gyms. After that, she then got the secretary job at Branford High School which led her to her job now as career and pathways coordinator.
Valaouras’s favorite part about being at Branford High School is being with her kids, helping other students, and the athletic events. She especially enjoys pep rallies at the school and believes they are fun and reminds her of her own high school experience.
“I love helping kids and helping finding their pathways,” Valaouras said.
It is not too late to go down and sign up for an internship if you are a senior, and it is most certainly never too early to go out and plan out your post secondary plans. Either way, a visit to see Mrs. Valaouras will be educational.
