School Counselor Fellows Program

MCAN's School Counselor Fellows program, in partnership with San Diego State University's Center for Equity and Postsecondary Attainment (CEPA), is designed as a cohort of school counselors who will be trained in advanced leadership and advocacy, specifically focused on postsecondary practices. The goal of this fellowship is to develop leadership and awareness of the counseling landscape in the state and country.

The application for the 2025-2027 cohort of School Counselor Fellows is now open!

Are you interested in leadership and advocacy in postsecondary education access? Are you excited to learn and grow in your current role? You are invited to join other school counselors from across the state in this two-year leadership program.

Benefits of the fellowship include:

Up to $1000 stipend per year (two-year fellowship)
Annual paid travel to the National Fellows Summit, hosted at SDSU in San Diego, Calif.
Earn up to 120 SCECHs
Access to grants and tools and resources to use in practice
Training in equity-driven leadership and advocacy development
Opportunity to attend and present at MCAN's annual conference
Participation in MCAN College Access Advocacy Day at the state capital
Learning from a variety of content-area experts
Networking with school counselors from across the state
Engaging in ongoing professional development opportunities during and after completing the fellowship

Selected fellows agree to:

Make a two-year fellowship commitment, starting in fall 2025
Attend quarterly in-person School Counselor Fellows meetings
Complete monthly assignments, readings, and reflections (about 3 hours/month)
Design and complete an advocacy project related to a college access or success issue
Dedicate average of eight hours a month towards research and advocacy project work
Provide feedback and recommendations for the fellowship process

Applications are due Sept. 20. Please reach out to Cion Swoope, strategy manager for high school innovation, with any questions.

Learn more and apply →

Contact

Cion Swoope

cion@micollegeaccess.org

Contact

Cion

Swoope

Strategy Manager for High School Innovation

He/Him

cion@micollegeaccess.org

As Strategy Manager for High School Innovation, Cion advances MCAN’s work in strengthening school systems and college access practitioners through professional development, curriculum design, grant management, and technical assistance. He also supports the organization's equity and inclusion goals through the implementation of program audits and the development of new initiatives.

Prior to joining MCAN, Cion worked as a residence director at Michigan State University with a focus on student development through curricular programming. Prior to that, he was employed as a living center director and taught college readiness courses at Grand Valley State University. Cion is an Americorps alum who served two terms with Michigan State University College Advising Corps, where he worked to improve college-going rates among underrepresented student populations.

As a first-generation student from a school system lacking resources to prepare students for college, Cion initially had little interest in pursuing formal education after high school. With the help of a mentor, however, he learned about the value of pursuing a degree. Cion started his postsecondary journey at Washtenaw Community College, where he discovered a passion for improving college access and supporting student success. He transferred to Michigan State University, where he completed an undergraduate degree in interdisciplinary studies. Later, he returned to school to earn a Master of Education in higher education at Grand Valley State University.

Outside of work, Cion enjoys running, traveling, and exploring cities with an amateur urban planner’s eye.

Michigan State University

Bachelor of Arts, Interdisciplinary Studies

Grand Valley State University

Master of Education, Higher Education

School Counselor Fellows Program

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