Our hardy group was up and out at the bus for an early morning start of 7 a.m. No stopping for breakfast in downtown Providence or at our lovely hotel, the Hotel Providence, formerly a children’s clothing store. Like many urban areas, repurposed buildings abound in the Renaissance City. The first stop of the day …
Travel Time with HECA in RI: URI, Salve, & Bryant Read More »
This article first appeared in the September 2015 issue of Southern Scope, the newsletter of the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling (SACAC). Forty-two hardy school counselors and independent educational consultants led by Caroline Morris and Kate Henderson toured 15 colleges and universities in Georgia as part of the Sweet Tea Tour. The hottest ticket …
It’s always a joy for me to return home, to the place where one of my earliest memories is getting my first library card and experiencing the excitement of knowing I could read as many books as I wanted for free. This time I went home to tour colleges as part of the Higher Educational …
Travel time with HECA: Rhode Island and Johnson & Wales Read More »
Many students transfer from community colleges to four-year colleges and universities. Inside Higher Ed reports approximately 20% of community college students successfully transfer to institutions of higher education. Students beginning their journey to a bachelor’s degree can save a significant amount of money by starting at their local community college. One program in North Carolina that …
Do you know the College Board is redesigning the SAT? Spring 2016 marks the unveiling of a SAT that looks radically different from the current version. Beginning with the class of 2017 (current sophomores), students will take a SAT that reverts back to the 1600 point scale versus the current 2400 that became standard in the …
This article appeared in the November 2014 issue of Women’s View . College ready, career ready, same preparation, right? Not necessarily. No matter what post-secondary pathway you take, (a four year college, two year college, technical school, apprenticeship, military, or on-the job training), you are going to work. Before you get to that stage of your …
I grew up without a father. I knew his name, I had an old photo (until I lost it), and I knew he served in the Air Force, but I did not know much else about my father. So recently, when I read Experts Divided Over Impact of Absent Father-themed College Admission Essays, those old …
“Thank you for flying Southwest. We know you have many choices and we’re glad you chose us”. The captain says something to that effect, as we land in Warwick, Rhode Island (RI); although it’s known as the Providence International Airport (PVD), it’s in the city of Warwick, home of the former Rocky Point Amusement Park …
Since moving to Fayetteville almost four years, creating a new professional network became my greatest blessing disguised as a challenge. Periodically, I want to share the career stories of people I have met along the way. Leaving family, friends, and a career I loved in Rhode Island reminds me “how lucky I am to have …
My original summer plans were to visit several colleges with my nephew visiting from Rhode Island to help him understand that he needs to find colleges that are an academic, social, and financial fit for him. We managed to squeeze in one visit to UNC Greensboro (UNCG) mainly because I have students interested in UNCG and I …
Professional development continues to be a major factor in my work life. With physical visits to campuses curtailed during 2020 (most are re-opening for in-person visits), I spend about 7 -10 hours per week on virtual visits with college admission counselors. The IECA, one of my professional organizations, regularly conducts College Conversations, an hour-long presentation with time built in for Q & A. To date, members of IECA had sessions with the colleges on the chart. Additionally, I added to this list by facilitating sessions in my capacity as the college counselor for the Montessori School of Raleigh where, along with the students, we learned more about UNC Charlotte, UNC Wilmington, the College of Wooster, Queens University of Charlotte, Muhlenberg, Elon, Western Carolina, North Carolina Central, the University of Alabama and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Did you know UNC Wilmington has a major in Coastal Engineering or that Western Carolina (along with UNC Pembroke and Elizabeth City State) is a NC Promise institution? A NC Promise school’s in-state tuition is $500 while non-residents pay $2500 per semester.
Our virtual world allows for hours upon hours of accessible college information sessions. I had to step back and limit myself to a reasonable number of hours of “college visits”.
I challenge my students regularly to move beyond their comfort zone and during the height of the pandemic, I stretched myself way beyond my level of comfort. I am one of 14 co-authors of Becoming The Shero, an anthology depicting the journeys of entrepreneurs at different stages of their lives. My story is in the Embracing the Pivot section.
Another way I stay current is through my new position at Providence College. As of August 2020, I am the College Supervisor for the School Counseling Program. What does the college supervisor do? I supervise the students in the program during their 2-semester internship at a school, where they are directly supervised by their Site Supervisor, a certified professional school counselor. It is the student teaching equivalent for school counseling.
Reading is a daily pleasure for me. Here are nine books (not in chronological order) that helped me to educate myself about current events and issues of social justice:
To stay up-to-date on trends in college, career and paying for college, see my list of books under the “Parent Resources” tab.
I challenge my students to be lifelong readers. I am practicing what I preach. What are you reading today?
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