From the Chair: Two Crucial College Questions

Greetings, South Carolina school counselors and fellow educators. I hope your school year is going well!

College. The mere mention of the word conjures up so many ideas – especially in the South during this time of year. I think about my time in college, including those football Saturdays. I think about my time as a high school counselor and all of those letters of recommendation. And I think about my time as a middle school counselor and how my work is helping to create college and career ready students.

But lately, when I think of college I just think about my children. Now that I have two in college, I think about the difference between their schools, their programs, their living arrangements, their successes, their struggles, and the list just goes on. I think about how different their paths have been from mine, and how different their paths have been from each other, and I realize exactly how truly unique the college experience is for us and each and every one of our students.

Which leads me to ask these two questions:
How are we working to help our students navigate their own unique paths?
And, more important, what are we doing to help them be successful in their college experience?

This newsletter is packed full of great ideas to help students, from small groups and targeted interventions for a few select individuals to college weeks for the masses. I hope this newsletter sparks some fond memories of your college experience, and I hope it inspires you to develop opportunities for students to create their own memories.

Before I wrap things up, please know that we recognize the importance of both college and career readiness. While this edition focuses on the college-going experience, we will devote our next newsletter entirely to career readiness and building capacity in our students.

Until then, I hope you all have safe and happy holidays. Enjoy yourselves, time with your families and reliving some of your own college memories. Oh, and more thing . . . Go Tigers!

Contact Clayton Henke, PSSCA Board chair, at cwhenke@yahoo.com.