Counseling appointments will be offered in person in Watson Hall - 3^rd Floor and Kinesiology A123, in addition to remote on Zoom. Appointments are 30 minutes long, please specify if you are a transfer student to schedule an extended appointment.  

To schedule an appointment with a Counselor for Student Athletes online, CLICK HERE, or call/text (714) 432-5627. You can also call the Counseling Center at (714) 432-5027 or schedule in person on the 3^rd floor of Watson Hall.  

There will be Drop-In Counseling available in Kinesiology A123 on Wednesday and Thursday mornings, 10am - 12pm. However, Drop-In times will be subject to change due to conflicting campus meetings. Drop-In Counseling is limited to 15 minutes and is appropriate for general questions only. All students are served on a first-come, first-served basis. Drop-In Counseling is not appropriate for any transcript reviews, Student Education Plans, or personal counseling.

If you need to cancel an appointment, please contact our office immediately. You may cancel via phone (714) 432-5078, through your text message reminder, or in person. Students who fail to cancel will be considered a NO SHOW and lose their ability to schedule appointments after 3 occurrences.

Student Athlete Counselors’ schedules open every Wednesday starting at 2pm for the following week.   

Counseling Hours: 

 General Questions Contact: 

Tiffany Huynh: thuynh@occ.cccd.edu | (714) 432-5627 

OCC Counseling Center: (714) 432-5027 

The Academic Counselors for Student Athletes are responsible for advising student-athletes in matters dealing with educational, vocational, athletic, and personal matters. Student-athletes need to meet with the counselor to develop a Student Educational Plan, which is required for all athletes to be eligible to compete. We require our athletes to complete a SEP each semester due to continual changes of requirements and recommendations for colleges and universities. 

Why do I need to see a counselor for student-athletes?   

• To assist student-athletes in the identification of educational, career and personal goals 
• To empower student-athletes to reach academic, career and personal success 
• To increase retention, graduation, and transfer rate of student athletes 
• To encourage each student-athlete to develop independence, self-advocacy and to mature mentally emotionally, physically, and athletically 
• To provide CCCAA, NCAA & NAIA Resources 
• To create an environment within the intercollegiate athletic program that promotes academic achievement 
• To maximize the academic potential of student-athletes by providing an atmosphere that enhances learning skills, career development, and personal development 
   

Meet Our Counselors:  

Cynthia Fascella 

For the past 10 years, Cynthia Fascella has supported students, from college counseling, coaching, and student services as a program coordinator, student-athlete counselor, and swimming coach. As a former student-athlete at the University of California, Los Angeles, Cynthia has had first-hand experience of the intentness, passion, and hard work it takes to succeed as a student-athlete at the collegiate level.  

Cynthia has worked in athletic departments at NCAA Division I Universities such as the University of California, Irvine and Loyola Marymount University before transitioning to support student-athletes in community colleges. In 2017, Cynthia assisted Orange Coast College’s swimming team and later became OCC’s P.R.E.S.S. Program Coordinator where she provided student-athletes support through tutoring, study hall, individual meetings, and workshops. Soon after, Cynthia became a Counseling faculty member at Santa Monica College and later at Fullerton College in their Athletics Departments as well as General Counseling and Transfer Services. Cynthia is an active member of the N4A where she attends annual conferences regarding CCCAA, NCAA, and NAIA eligibility and transfer standards. 

Cynthia’s greatest athletic accomplishment was competing at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska where she swam the 50m and 100m Freestyle. She graduated from Fountain Valley High School where she was a high school three time All-American and CIF Division I individual and relay champion. While swimming for UCLA, Cynthia earned Honorable mention All-American honors at NCAAs. Her passion for athletics is not only evident with her career choice as an academic counselor for student-athletes, but in her personal life she enjoys cycling, weightlifting, yoga, and continues to cheer on her Bruin friends who compete around the world. 

cfascella@cccd.edu 

(714) 432-5975  

Caitlyn Carralejo  (requesting info) 

ccarralejo@occ.cccd.edu