On May 8, 2018, educators nationwide were celebrated for their often thankless efforts, which consist of advising, educating, mentoring, and shaping the youth of today (who will eventually become the change makers of tomorrow). While I and others have entered this field driven by our passion, not by praise, there is no harm in relishing being complimented, and subsequently taking a moment to reflect on the impact our presence has made in a student's life. As a result, I used the day to reflect on my influence in-and-out of the classroom thus far, and the ongoing work that needs to be completed before I can comfortably rest on my laurels.
Upon further reflection, I discovered one notion that has proven to be true throughout my tenure: Working with high school students requires one to wear many hats, often simultaneously. For example, when wearing the hat of an Algebra instructor, I am also wearing the hat of motivator whose mission is to bolster the mathematical confidence of students who doubt their abilities. Additionally, when I switch to my Financial Literacy cap, I am also wearing the cap of a Financial Aid counselor. Thus, of all the hats I wear daily, I find that my Financial Aid counselor cap is my favorite. It is widely known that the college application process is complex. Moreover, it is readily known as well that families are frequently riddled with anxiety when trying to comprehend the Financial Aid process, which includes completing FAFSA, as well as mastering updated policies, terms, and more. As such, it is crucial that financial aid counselors are not only clear and concise, but are exceptionally knowledgable about the overall process. Furthermore, always looking to strengthen my skills as go-to counselor and resource, I am pro-active in attending seminars and workshops. To illustrate this claim, on May 3, 2018, I attended a workshop at The New School geared for New York City Department of Education counselors titled, Tough Calculations: What Is A College Worth? To start, moderator Kim Nauer posed this question to the panel, “Why are students intrigued by brand named colleges and universities?” The answers among the panel varied, but they all hinted toward the following: prestige, legacy, major, and potential job prospects. As such, they noted that in their interactions with students, a large number were researching institutions with the best program to match their desired professional goals. Moreover, to make the connection between brand named institutions and cost, some of the panelists provided their own assessment on the matter. Here are some synopses: David Helene David urged college and guidance counselors to assist students in not only researching the cost of attending an institutions, but the overall percentage of debt incurred and the risk(s) associated with applying to specific institutions. Thus, after years of talking to low-income families, as well as a slew of economists, David created the Edquity app, which streamlined data to provide families not only with the national ranking of institutions, but provides metrics meant to help lower overall debt to families and also delves into the rising housing and food insecurity crisis across college campuses. Moreover, David stressed the importance of researching graduation rates. Sonia Szymanski Sonia argued the wage gap is a significant factor as to whether or not college graduates will be able to successfully pay back student loans. Essentially, when recent college graduates enter the workforce and are making a base salary of $50,000 with nearly $100,000 in student loans, the rate at which loans will be repaid is low. Thus, to eliminate this fear, she stressed the importance of obtaining a summer internship during the first-year of college versus one’s junior year. Thus, working with CUNY students to secure coveted, paid summer internships, her goal is to have the starting salary of a CUNY graduate on par with graduates from private institutions and state schools. Kaitlin Mulhere Kaitlin summarized the concerns regarding college costs as the battle between cost and value. Because much attention has been paid to the bad outcomes of college, such as incurring substantial debt without obtaining a degree, many people state that college isn’t worth the costs. Her suggestion is sit with students and parents/guardians and outline what the return on investment (ROI) would be in attending college. As seen above, each panelist provided a unique prospective regarding the relationship between Financial Aid, families, and institutions. Although the commentary differed, there were key themes that emerged throughout the dialogue that centered on a to-do list for students and their families. The themes were: counselors and families heavily exploring the 2+2 Program (enrolling in community college first, then transferring to a 4-year institution); researching college cost first, then college fit; researching a school’s endowment and frequent alumni philanthropy (a factor in the allotment of financial aid); honing transferrable skills in students; and students demanding internships at every stage of their collegiate career. The path to college is not traversed alone, therefore all who choose to embark on this journey must come prepared. Likewise, higher education, as a whole, must be willing to shape shift to become student-ready so as to properly address the needs of applicants.
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WhitneyEducation enthusiast whose mission it is to see Financial Literacy receive well-deserved shine. Archives
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