Starting a New Year

Because I tend to be an orderly person, for many years I have gone to the office the day before school starts so that I can focus and think about the goals I have for the upcoming year.  Plus I get to make sure my office is clean!

This year my goals seem fairly straightforward.  One, I want to make sure my students are exposed to a wide variety of college and universities, no matter where they are located.  Every year there is at least one student who steps outside her comfort zone and finds a college that wasn't on her radar when the school year began, and more often than not, she finds a healthy financial aid or merit scholarship package.  Of course, parents are often nervous about their daughter going too far away from home, so we also want to encourage them to consider the opportunities their daughter might have by stretching herself.

Two, there are so many outstanding programs and scholarships out there, and I want to do a better job of educating myself and my students about the possibilities.  For students who are interested in business and advertising, Miami University of Ohio has an advertising agency on campus. Colorado College operates on a Block Plan, allowing students to concentrate on one class at a time. The University of Rochester offers a freshmen only Research Innovation Grant, while Olin, Babson, and Wellesley have intentional collaborative programs that, for example, would allow a student to combine an engineering program at Olin with an entrepreneurship at Babson.  Colgate University's Thought Into Action program is another entrepreneurial program, while the unique open curriculum at Sarah Lawrence allows each student to tailor their academic program to their interests, all while working one on one with a faculty don.  And those are only the tip of the iceberg!

This year the  I want them to speak up for injustices when they see them.  I want them to encourage and support their classmates, and I want them to give back to their school in whatever way they can.  I want them to understand that leadership takes many forms and that there is a place for each of them on our campus. Sometimes it just takes a little longer to find it.  I want them to be resilient and learn to deal with failure.  It seems so trite, but failure is truly a wonderful learning tool.  I want them to speak up and promote themselves.  They have all have amazing talents, and they shouldn't hesitate to talk about their strengths and successes.

Finally, I want colleges and universities to understand what a truly amazing place GPS is.  Our students are smart, talented, creative, and funny young women, and they will graduate with an outstanding work ethic and all the tools they need to be successful in college.

I have my work cut out for me this year - we all do - but because I work with such incredible young women, it won't seem like work at all.  Here's to the girls!!