Former VIDE Counselor Publishes Book to Guide Students Beyond College and Toward Vocational Success

A former V.I. Department of Education (VIDE) counsellor has published a book that she hopes will help guide high-school students during a crucial decision-making period.

For Mia Felix, who taught at the Charlotte Amalie High School before becoming the counsellor at the Bertha C. Boschulte Middle School, helping students onto a vocational pathway was her passion. She carried that torch even after relocating to Tampa, Florida after the 2017 hurricanes and continuing as a career and college counsellor there. “I felt that they didn't really get as much assistance when it came to what's next, because a lot of times people think it's only college,” Ms. Felix said in an interview with the Consortium.

It’s not a problem that’s unique to the USVI. Ms. Felix observed that there is “a void all across the board” with parents unable to help their students “navigate” the world of post-secondary education. “They themselves maybe didn't go to a college or university, so they're not familiar at all, or it's been a long time since they've done it, and the process has changed,” observed Ms. Felix as possible reasons for the current challenge.

“The parents don't really know where to start, how to navigate it. Sometimes it's frustrating for both the parent and the student,” Ms. Felix has observed. She says that most high school students simply “want to be successful” and do not necessarily wish to attend a four-year college. In fact, she has noted a “growing trend” of students willing to pursue alternate paths. “It may sound good to be a doctor or a lawyer, but if you don't like doing that, then you're never going to be happy,” she said.