Where College Counseling Breeds Self-Discovery and Compassion
Applying to college may sound like a drudgery of forms to fill out, deadlines to meet, and oodles of extra work to do—a mundane list of tasks to slog through and check off. What if the mindset shifted and this process became an opportunity? An opportunity for self reflection to uncover the insights, values, and beliefs of Lab's senior class. An opportunity to find each student's story and voice and then to tell that story with the aim of finding a place where the story is valued and will become a young adult's new home? That shift in mindset is at the center of the work that Lab's college counselors do each year.
Ready to launch into the world, students are aided by their college counselors in taking pause to reflect on their years at Lab, their varied achievements, and their burgeoning interests. "This is a moment of beautiful tension," shared College Counselor Patty Kovacs. "This is the moment when students truly understand that they are more than Lab and that the more they know themselves, the more happiness they will find in their next steps. It's the moment when we pull all of the threads of their Lab narrative together and create a snapshot of each student."
It's also a moment when students experience true camaraderie. They are all going through the same process together and they bond around that shared experience. After the great relief of finishing their work, the entire class goes away together for a retreat to celebrate and experience joy. No matter the outcome of college decisions, our graduates can always look back on this journey as a time of self-discovery and a lesson in showing compassion to themselves and others. It may be one of the most important lessons that Lab teaches—we saved the best for last.
The bedrock of Lab's philanthropy efforts, the Fund for Lab, provides the Laboratory Schools with funds that allow us to continue to invest in the people and programs that are at the heart of the Lab experience. Every gift, no matter the size, makes an immediate and lasting impact to ensure that Lab continues to thrive. Give today.
- Compassion
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