March was a busy month for CARA staff! In addition to the events above, on March 16thCARA’s Director of College Bridge, Deneysis Labrada, represented the organization at the NYSACAC Middle Management Institute Downstate convention, hosted at Molloy University. The New York State Association for College Admission Counseling is comprised of over 1,800 members, including high school counselors, college admission officers, and community-based organizations. Presentations and discussions were focused on topics such as Leadership and Team Management, Strategic Thinking and Decision Making and Empowering Families to Navigate the College Admission Process, and were intended to lay the groundwork for empowering staff while sharing best practices in the field. 

Deneysis led a session titled “Coaching Teams & Delivering Feedback that Drives Performance.” She outlined four core leadership practices that underpin high-performing teams: 1) Relationship Building, 2) Clarity & Accountability, 3) Ownership & Sustainability, and 4) Reflective Feedback and explained how to implement these in varying ways with students, interns, and more experienced staff.  Deneysis introduced colleagues and peers to CARA’s Performance-Based Assessment (PBA) model, emphasizing how it creates opportunities for young people to demonstrate their skills, apply knowledge in real-world contexts, and actively participate in their own growth and development.Participants experienced firsthand how CARA’s approach not only builds individual competencies but also strengthens team cohesion and long-term organizational effectiveness.