I’ve been thinking a lot this fall about this role I have and the students that I get to encourage and work with on the college process. One thing that has become obvious to me is that many voices speaking into the high school student’s life and overlapping with their content is actually a very good thing. Sometimes we can tend to think that we’re the only voice, or the only ‘right’ voice at least, who should counsel and be listened to in the college search. Not so! It takes a lot of effort and work and patience and thinking and time to figure out the whole college process– where to apply, how to do it all, what classes to take, who to ask for rec letters, how to keep on time with the steps, and on and on. Why wouldn’t we want MANY people helping with those things? My desire from the beginning of starting this work has been to partner with students, their parents, their school counselors, and any other people involved in the journey. And the reason for that desire? Because our students need us to work together for their best interests! It’s not a competition about who does the most or who is the coolest or who helped click more submit boxes. It’s a partnership. And the goal? —to help alleviate the stress, anxiety, uncertainty, and fear that can loom large with the unknowns of the whole college search and application process. Those of us involved in this part of the world of high schoolers need to work together!!