Personal counseling involves any matter that is important to the student. Often matters of concern include relationships with friends, siblings, parents, and teachers. Personal counseling matters are confidential, unless abuse or a physically harmful situation is apparent. How can students sign up to talk with Mr. Byma? Students can schedule a time with Mr. Byma through email (jbyma@unitychristian.net) Parents can also feel free to call the counselor at any time to discuss an issue or schedule a personal meeting.

When do students start college counseling? Mr. Byma will discuss college preparations with entire grades at least once a semester, beginning already with Freshmen year. Students will also visit with Mr. Byma in individual meetings to discuss more specific plans and needs. Students will complete different interest surveys and profilers to help them better understand themselves and learn what types of colleges, majors, and careers would be good fits for them. Rising Junior & Senior Parent Night In the spring, Mr. Byma will host an informative presentation for sophomores, juniors, and their parents, informing them about the different opportunities that exist, including a large number of classes available for college credit. These courses include online classes, dual enrollment courses here in our building, or courses on the college campus of either Dordt College or Northwestern. The meeting will also include important dates and deadlines. Financial Aid Night In the fall, Unity hosts a Financial Aid Night presentation from Dordt College's Director of Financial Aid. This informative meeting provides helpful information concerning financial aid and the FAFSA, and it is meant to be able to be used by all seniors, regardless of where they plan on attending college after high school.

When do students start college counseling? Mr. Byma will discuss college preparations with entire grades at least once a semester, beginning already with Freshmen year. Students will complete different interest surveys and profilers to help them better understand themselves and learn what types of careers would be good fits for them. During sophomore year, students will attend the local Your Future @ Work career day. This event focuses on career possibilities that are available for our students locally. During junior year, students will attend Northwest Iowa Community College's Junior Career Day. This event gives the students a broad glimpse into many different types of careers that they might be interested in.

In the spring, Mr. Byma will speak to classes by grade, present the course options available to them, answer questions about courses, and give them the registration information they need to sign up for classes for the following school year. Visit the Course Options page of the website to see which courses are available for Unity students. Dual Enrollment opportunities also exist for juniors and seniors. These courses give the students the opportunity to earn college credit while they are enrolled at Unity Christian. Three types of college courses are available: - Online Classes - Courses on campus, at NCC or Dordt or Northwestern - Concurrent Enrollment Courses here at Unity Students will apply to the college of their choice and select a course that is offered at a time that works with the student's Unity schedule. Students must have a cumulative 3.0 GPA to apply.