Experience is Essential
Ever since I returned from my daughter’s graduation, I knew I had to write this article. As I sat there in the audience (in very cold weather even though it was May), the thought that kept resonating in my mind was: How important it had been to match the university with her career of interest and personal characteristics. Choosing the right college for someone goes beyond rankings, lists, acceptance rates, and statistics; it should involve a humanistic and personal approach to ensure their success.
George Mason University was the perfect choice for her. A place where she had the opportunity, among fifteen other Dance graduates in her class, to belong to a personalized environment where they all had a chance to represent who they were. She was not just a number; she had a voice; she had a presence in her school. And this was important for her. So much so that she was chosen to give the closing speech at the ceremony . . . a girl from Panama and the only Spanish speaking student in her class.
Having experienced this journey with her, I am reassured that the job I do with my students is what they need to succeed. Getting to know them through months of one-on-one sessions, working on their Personal Strategies Questionnaires, Exploration of Values, Morals, and Personal Traits, asking the right questions when they are drafting their essays and merging all of this information with their college choices, leads to successful and fruitful experiences in their college careers.
I am happy, fulfilled, and satisfied that my daughter has a college degree and that I am reassured that the path I travel with my students, yields successful lives and promising careers.