The following blog was written by Mr. Vincent Connolly, a School Counselor at Carson High School. In addition to his counseling responsibilities, Mr. Connolly helps out all over the school and has focused on implementing a new ACT Prep program for our Juniors this year.
As a counseling department we meet with all the seniors to go over their graduation requirements and post high school plans. One of the messages that we try to preach to students is when looking at schools and careers to look at what is the best “fit” for them. We urge them to look at lots of factors in making decisions rather than being narrowly focused. It is not about where their parents want them to go and major in so they can “name drop” or what their friends are planning. Ideally, it is about them figuring what works best for them. Whether it be school or work, it is their life to live and if there is not a good “fit” between their own intrinsic makeup and the choices they make, neither will be particularly enjoyable. Unfortunately, we see evidence every spring when graduates come back and request a transcript to go to another school. In most cases what was the best “fit” for them was not the deciding factor in which school they chose initially.
I just sent a kid off to college a year or so ago and we were discussing VMI versus the Citadel. We were comparing the two schools and had visited the Citadel. I told him, selfishly, VMI is just like the Citadel and going to Charleston is much better than going to Lexington, VA. His response was how would HE know without visiting VMI. I had no comeback, so off to Lexington we went. By visiting both he ultimately decided that neither of them were the “right fit” for him and decided on a third school. I would NEVER have expected this school when the process started, but his own self-knowledge led him to a perfect “fit” for him.
Finding the right fit also applies here at Carson. I look at our students that need so much support to get them to graduation and I see that they have not found their “fit.” Typically, these students are not connected to the school. They are not in athletics, the arts or involved with one of our vocational or club offerings. They wander from one class to the next, watch the clock and cannot wait to leave because there is nothing that interests them here.
The take from this is when a student finds their “fit” lots of the other things take care of themselves. Their attendance is better, they work harder, they feel a part of their school community, and they GIVE instead of just taking. The more we as a school can do to connect all students to the school the more likely the student will have positive outcomes across the board.
Finding the right fit also applies here at Carson. I look at our students that need so much support to get them to graduation and I see that they have not found their “fit.” Typically, these students are not connected to the school. They are not in athletics, the arts or involved with one of our vocational or club offerings. They wander from one class to the next, watch the clock and cannot wait to leave because there is nothing that interests them here.
The take from this is when a student finds their “fit” lots of the other things take care of themselves. Their attendance is better, they work harder, they feel a part of their school community, and they GIVE instead of just taking. The more we as a school can do to connect all students to the school the more likely the student will have positive outcomes across the board.
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