There’s a lot to be thankful for at this time of year – family, togetherness, food, and (if you’re in LA like us slightly) cooler weather. More than anything, though, at Colledge, we are grateful for YOU, our families – we love it that you turn to us to share your stories about your children, use us as a trusted resource, tune into our events, and allow us to be your partner during your child’s educational journey.
So as we turn our minds to gratitude, and think about how we can give back, we’re thinking about all of the college-bound students out there to help. And we want to encourage our students to do the same. Parents, it’s in those moments of giving back that your child can show their thankfulness to colleges.
We’re living in a time when students can easily become overwhelmed by the whirl of school, sports, talents, relationships and (of course) their phones, and pausing to look outside of their own experience to show empathy and work to support others is one vital way colleges get excited about students.
At Colledge, our students are deeply concerned about issues affecting all of us – some are deeply concerned about the environment, for others mental health has surfaced as a top priority and some are deeply concerned about the health of our economy. Whatever that “biggest issue” is for your child, encourage them to find a cause that is tethered to their heart, and then help them find ways to work towards its solution.
Over years of working with students we’ve seen certain nation-wide organizations surface that are particularly meaningful – work that goes far beyond satisfying community service requirements and inspires students to examine their own lives, create new initiatives and, of course, write brilliant college essays:
And if your child is ready to take their giving a bit farther, encourage them to start their own project, big or small, in conjunction with a cause they believe in. Here are a few examples of what Colledge students have done:
- Designing and crocheting stuffed toys for children living at Ronald McDonald House
- Launching a non-profit organization focused on gathering gently used shoes and donating them to under-resourced families
- Creating a program in conjunction with administration and faculty at their public school designed to help students with learning differences make the transition from elementary to middle school
So as you encourage your family to be thankful for everything they have, encourage them to give back in a way that holds a place in their heart. And if as you help your child explore, you find you need more information to make sure your child uses their time meaningfully and effectively with college admissions in mind, give us a call. We’ve worked with hundreds of students over the years, and we’d love to learn about yours.
