Guidance: College & Career Center
Email: krubenstein@seq.org
Phone Ext: 77309
Room: Administrative Building
Katrina Rubenstein: Guidance Counselor
I began my career in education in Teach for America as a teacher at Overfelt High School in East Side, San Jose. Working with my students at Overfelt, I knew I wanted to be a school counselor, and I earned my PPS credential from SJSU. As a school counselor, I am passionate about supporting students and helping them achieve their goals. I have learned a tremendous amount in my previous roles as a teacher at Overfelt and counselor at Boynton and Woodside, and I am so very happy to be a part of the Redwood family. Having lived across the map- Minnesota, Texas, Boston, and Argentina- California is truly home. At home with 3 dogs, a cow, several pigs, and my partner, I am kept quite busy, but I wouldn't change it for the world.
Email: evalencia@seq.org
Phone Ext: 77304
Room: Administrative Building
Evelyn Valencia: Student Enrollment Specialist
Evelyn Valencia has dedicated over twenty years to helping young men and women realize their academic, professional and personal dreams. In her current role as Redwood’s Bilingual Resource Teacher, Evelyn works around the clock to support, challenge, and advocate for our district’s most vulnerable students and families. A graduate of Menlo-Atherton High School, Evelyn feels a close bond with her students, many of whom are growing up in similar neighborhoods and facing similar challenges to those she herself faced as a teen. Before graduating in 2008 from San Francisco State University while working full time, Evelyn worked at Sequoia as an Instructional Associate from 2001-2003 and then returned in 2007 as the Instructional Vice-Principal’s Secretary. In 2010, while pursuing her teaching credential at Notre Dame De Namur, she was promoted to Principal's Secretary and SAFE Coordinator where she was a key player in transforming the school to the highly-sought-after public school that it is today. She then taught AVID and Spanish for a number of years before being recruited to work full time leading our critical SAAP and Team Ascent programs. Evelyn feels fortunate to work with our district’s wonderful staff who share her dedication to helping all students succeed. She especially loves building relationships with first-generation college-bound students, making sure that they understand the importance of their education and what options and resources are available to them. A busy mother of five, Evelyn is always on the go, somehow finding time for her own children while also being "mom" in many ways to her family of so many teenagers each year. In May of 2012, Evelyn received a Kent Award for her leadership role in developing and implementing an exemplary after school program at Sequoia High School. In September of 2017, Evelyn was celebrated for her tireless work by the Chan-Zuckerberg Foundation.
Email: nfmenjivar@seq.org
Phone Ext: 77349
Room: Administrative Building
Nestor Menjivar: Guidance Information Specialist
My career in education began at Redwood High School in 2013 as an Instructional Associate in the Math Department. The following year I transitioned to the front office and I now have moved on to the Guidance Department. I have lived in our community for the past 30 years when I arrived from El Salvador as an adolescent. I graduated from Menlo-Atherton High School and Cañada College with a degree in General Studies: Social Science. I enjoy getting to know our students and I value the role we, as adults, play in guiding our students to be successful in life. The most rewarding part of my job is running into former students in the community and thanking me for being there for them. It brings me great joy to see them doing well.
Email: jnaranjo@seq.org
Phone Ext: 77417
Room: 15
Jacqueline Naranjo: College and Career Information Specialist
Serving the community that helped raise me has been extremely rewarding. As a result, I can personally relate and understand our students and the struggles they face. This allows them to feel a sense of belonging. This is especially important for our students who have felt like nobody understands them. I take pride in my ability to connect with our students because building a rapport with them will increase the chances of their success here with us and in life. I graduated from our district, attended a local private college, and have 5 plus years of experience in education. Every experience has prepared me for this position and to best serve our students. With all the experience I’ve gained I have the skills that are necessary to help our students plan for their future. Here at RHS you can help make a difference one student at a time, as long as you are intentional and empathetic!
Email: pandrade@seq.org
Phone Ext: 77313
Room: 12A
Pedro Andrade: Community Liaison
Hello all! My name is Pedro and I am the community liaison for Redwood High School. I’m very ecstatic to be here, and looking forward to helping in any way possible. I look forward to making a positive connection with all our students and parents. I have walked many routes in my life from gaining education to just life experience. My educational background ranges from 5 AA degrees from administration of justice to medical assistant. I am also a recent CSU Chico graduate with a bachelor's degree in Sociology. I’m very proud to say that I’m born, and raised in Redwood City. In my free time you can find me under a car hood working on my classic cars from engine work to painting them. You can also spot me at junkyards pulling away unique vintage car parts. Even though it is not a hobby I really enjoy roofing on weekends alongside my father, and our roofing buddies. I also enjoy working on projects around the house, and recently enjoying the yard while listening to the radio. Sometimes you can find me playing with my god children, nieces, and nephews who keep me very busy. If I’m not busy at all I am playing Call of Duty online at nights, or binge watching documentaries about almost anything.
College Readiness
This course invites students to explore college as one of their post-secondary options. In this class, students will learn terminology and concepts to better prepare them for the otherwise foreign-seeming world of college, and they will explore the many opportunities available to them in a college environment, including specialized classes and programs to help them succeed once they're there. Among other things, they will learn how to navigate relevant websites to find the information they need, develop a practice community college schedule, and familiarize themselves with the wide variety of majors and degrees available at different post-secondary institutions.