This Spring, we asked every teacher, counselor and coach at Herndon High School to recommend students for our new Imagining Your Future program. We received 58 referrals that highlighted students who would benefit from an additional adult in their lives, workshops and at-work experiences.
Here are a few examples of referrals we received, revised to protect student identities:
______ is very gentle, kind and respectful young woman. She struggles with some insecurities and anxiety which can hold her back from engaging in activities and academic programs. I believe this program would be a very positive experience for her. She thrives in one-to-one settings and would benefit from an extra adult to help her navigate high school and her post-high school opportunities.
_______ is a quick learner and very smart. She is a new arrival to the US and may not know what options she has in the future. She'd take this opportunity and run with it!
______ is interested in going to college, but perceives many obstacles.
______ is a delight! He is very independent and self-reliant. The past two years of school have been difficult for him due to family obstacles. _____ would greatly benefit from a mentor (preferably male) to help him begin to explore future opportunities. He works very well with others, shows a lot of leadership potential, and is well liked by all.
We invited all 58 students to apply to the program by completing a survey, a short essay and an in-person interview. Students selected from that pool form our pilot group, which we expect to grow over time. These are from a few of the student essays:
I'm really stressed and confused on where to really go after high school, the trades are not talked about often and opportunities are not as out there; so I would like to get mentoring on life after high school. I also would like to build my confidence and experience. I would also like to improve any skills I would be able to improve on. I think this program would help me a lot with all three of those things and really help lessen my stress and guide me.
I am passionate about going to college after high school to major in a business degree, and I think this program is a fit for me because I never stop thinking about what I want in the future and hope someone can guide me onto the right path. I would love to be taught things about building a future in college or even get advice from someone who knows a lot about preparing. I wanna make sure that I will pursue my dreams after high school.
I would like the help of finding and planning out my future and I'd really appreciate the help this program offers to me, I struggle doing things on my own most of the time so mentoring from someone else could help me sort out things.
I am confident I'm the right fit for this program as I recognize the uncertainties that come post-high school and the importance of seeking guidance. I am enthusiastic about learning new skills and seizing fresh opportunities, demonstrating my readiness to explore new avenues. Participating in this program would not only assist me in regaining focus but also provide a platform to acquire valuable knowledge and skills essential for my journey ahead.
I feel like I would be a good fit for this program because I'm interested in what careers I could go into in the future I'd also want to gain experience so that I could not only help others who are confused about what they want to be/do in the future but also to find a career that would suit me the best and my community.
We’re in the process this summer of recruiting and training mentors, planning field trips, informational interviews and workshops, and asking employers to offer at-work opportunities such as shadowing, internships and part-time work. We’re also planning fun activities!
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