For the 2025-26 school year, Oxford Academy launched a new course for seniors: Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) Senior Seminar, taught by AVID Site Coordinator Mrs. Casanova.
AVID is a nationwide program aimed at closing the achievement gap for students, preparing them with college readiness skills. Oxford incorporates it through junior high College and Career Readiness (CCR) classes.
Mrs. Casanova guides seniors through the college application process, from applying for scholarships to writing the Common App personal statement.
“We’ve done a lot of things like data matching [in AVID] that have streamlined everything, and I really do think that being in AVID has helped me a lot to demystify college apps and makes things so much more manageable,” senior Aidan Vo said.
Mrs. Casanova launched the AVID class after recently going through the college application process with her sons, wanting to create a class where students can receive more support and information. Learning that AUHSD schools — such as Katella High School and Loara High School — offer AVID courses for seniors, she reached out to the campuses’ teachers, who provided her with information and support.
Moving into AVID’s inaugural year at Oxford, Mrs. Casanova constantly plans and shifts lessons, supporting her students by getting input from them. Outside of class, she’s attended university conferences and workshops to gain valuable insights into the application process.
“I just feel like now that I know how multifaceted the college application process is, I’m actually more excited about it because I see a lot of opportunities for our students, especially to explore schools and majors that they probably wouldn’t have considered before. [Seeing] what doors might open, I think, is terribly exciting for me,” Mrs. Casanova said.
Mrs. Casanova encourages all students not to focus on what they think admissions officers want to hear, but instead to stay authentic to traits meaningful to them and their own voice when writing.
“If you’re gonna cheese out now and use AI, it’s gonna hurt you in ways that you have no idea how much it’ll impact your application. For research: yes. For your own voice and your own thinking: absolutely not,” Mrs. Casanova said.
After the college application process finishes, AVID will shift to teach students about financial literacy and other life skills. Mrs. Casanova is looking forward to how the class will continue to grow throughout the rest of the year and in future years, hoping to add sections and secure funding for college field trips.
“We have it set into three stages: caterpillar, chrysalis, butterfly. I envision that by the end of this year, you guys will know what school you’re going to, have all the information you need to be financially prepared, how to network in high school, [and] how to talk to people in the industry you think you want to go to.” Mrs. Casanova said. “I just want to really help in any way I can to set up students for success. [AVID isn’t just] content; it’s real-world stuff that will be helpful.”
