Alleghany High School senior Evelynn Williams, left, and Ellie Lafon, pathways adviser at Alleghany High School, share a moment. Williams said Lafon helped her with college planning and supported her through personal challenges. (AHPS Photo)
AdviseVA Guides AHS Students in Planning Next Steps
COVINGTON — AdviseVA is continuing its work to help students at Alleghany High School prepare for life after graduation through in-depth advising and local partnerships focused on college and career readiness.
The program, previously known as the Virginia College Advising Corps, partners with Alleghany Highlands Public Schools, The Alleghany Foundation and AmeriCorps to provide direct support to students exploring postsecondary options. Both The Alleghany Foundation and GEAR UP (a federal college readiness program) grants have supported programs that help students prepare for college.
AdviseVA places a full-time “near-peer” Pathways Adviser at Alleghany High School. These advisers are recent college graduates who work one-on-one with students on planning for life after high school.
Sarai Warrick served as the first Pathways Adviser following consolidation of the school divisions at the school from 2023 to 2025 before leaving to pursue a master’s degree at University of Virginia. Customarily, advisers remain with the high school for one or two years.
AHS senior Meredith Minter reflected on the positive impact she received from Warrick, highlighting the support she received during significant health and academic challenges in high school. Minter plans to attend James Madison University in the fall to study health sciences and has interests in a future career in occupational therapy and business.
“I had the pleasure of having Sarai Warrick as my college counselor, and I am truly forever thankful for that. Sarai truly shaped me into the person I am today, because she was different from other staff members in one key way, she was consistently there for me,” said Meredith Minter, a senior at AHS.
“Throughout my junior year of high school, I struggled more with my health than I ever have. I was constantly in and out of school for surgeries, missing my classes, and overall worried about my future. While I was carrying a severe mental burden with me everywhere, I found security and comfort in talking to [Warrick]. Every single day, she was there for me with a smile on her face. She listened to me worry about my courses, she supported me in choosing what classes to take and how to best manage my education along with a chronic illness. Although a lot of people would overlook these small gestures of support, I remember those conversations and the clarity I felt almost daily. She went above and beyond to find out what classes would be best for me to attend my dream school, and she truly was someone I could confide in when suffering through stressful times,” Minter said.
Minter said Warrick’s support made a lasting difference in her life. Her experience reflects the lasting impact that consistent support and guidance can have on a student’s academic journey and personal growth.
“I have had many great teachers and staff members who have been there for me in high school, but none of them will take the place of the impact that Ms. Warrick left me. Whether I showed up to her office crying, joyful, or sick, she treated me with the utmost respect and truly made an effort to understand me and how I could best handle the difficult challenges I was facing. I could only pray to leave as positive and long lasting impact on other people in my future career as Ms. Warrick has left on my life,” she said.
This year, Ellie Lafon has served in the Pathways Advisor role and has agreed to continue next school year, providing ongoing support for students.
“Every day, I see students realize they have more options than they thought,” Lafon said. “My goal is to help them feel confident taking those next steps after high school.”
A student who worked with Lafon said the guidance made the process easier to navigate. “When I lost my friend, she always had time to talk with me. She really goes over and beyond what is expected. She made it so much easier decoding if college was the best choice for me,” said Evelynn Williams, who will graduate in May.
Lafon plans to return to AHS in 2026-27 to continue supporting students. Although she primarily meets with juniors and seniors, students in any grade can reach out for assistance.
Advise VA supports a wide range of pathways, including two-year and four-year colleges, trade schools, apprenticeships, military service, and other career options.
Since 2018, AdviseVA has made a clear impact at Alleghany High School and previously at Covington High School, which merged into Alleghany High School in 2023 under the Alleghany Highlands Public Schools consolidation. As of April 2026, the program has:
- Advised 891 students.
- Completed 2,681 one-on-one meetings.
- Helped secure $1.9 million in financial aid.
- Engaged 220 families.
- Assisted with 1,186 college applications.
- Assisted with 338 financial aid applications.
Advisers help students identify goals, complete applications and understand financial aid. They also receive training and ongoing professional development throughout the year. Recently, the program has formally expanded to include helping students with college selection as well as with trade school, apprenticeship, and military-enlistment choices.
Kim Halterman and Melinda Snead-Johnson, leaders of Alleghany Highlands Public Schools, said the program is an important part of student support.
“AdviseVA has made a meaningful difference for our students by ensuring they have consistent, high-quality guidance as they plan for life after graduation,” Halterman and Snead-Johnson said. “The relationships built through this program help students see what is possible and take real steps toward their goals.”
School leaders say the partnership has been valuable and should continue, noting it aligns with the division’s focus on college and career readiness called “future ready for the community” in the AHPS Strategic Plan.
“It is important to all of us in AHPS that we offer our students quality options to help get them ready for whatever is next, including work, college, and military enlistment. We are very excited by the School Board’s consistent investment in these areas,” Halterman and Snead-Johnson said.
AHPS offers students work-based learning, technical programs, and classes through Mountain Gateway Community College. For more information, parents and students should contact their school.