Page 8 - KnightTime News Fall 2019

KNIGHTtime News
GUIDING YOUR COLLEGE PROCESS
By Kristen Jurgens
Iam so excited to be joining the Menlo College Counseling team this fall! When Mr. Mettille
mentioned that the college office would like someone to work with Mrs. Ford’s families during her maternity leave, I jumped at the opportunity to step in and help. Having retired from my position as Director of College Counseling at Sacred Heart Preparatory last year to stay home with my son;
I was excited by the prospect
of being able to get back in the counseling chair and help students and parents through what can often feel like the murky waters of the college application process. I love demystifying a process that can seem daunting, as well as lowering stress and anxiety around college application writing through organization, creative problem solving, and doses of humor if possible.
During the first half of my career,
I worked as a college admissions officer, first at Tufts and then at Boston College. I always looked forward to my annual visits to Menlo, and the chance to meet with its impressive students. The college
MEET
KRISTEN JURGENS
“IT’S A JOY TO COME TO WORK EACH DAY. THE COMMUNITY HERE HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY WELCOMING, BUT EVEN MORE SO, THE STUDENTS I HAVE MET WITH HAVE BEEN SHARP, TALENTED, AND JUST PLAIN FUN TO GET TO KNOW.“
counselors in this office have always had a standard of excellence that made them easy to work with from the college side and were fun to know as professionals and people. And that certainly has not changed! Although students all geared up
for a Valpo Bowl victory may be shocked to hear it, the college offices at SHP and Menlo have had a terrific collegial relationship for many years. Therefore, joining this wonderful team of counselors for the fall seemed a natural choice, since we have been collaborating around and commiserating over the wacky world of admissions for a long time.
Now that I have had time to meet students and experience a little bit of the energy and enthusiasm that permeates the Menlo campus, it’s
a joy to come to work each day. The community here has been incredibly welcoming, but even more so, the students I have met with have been sharp, talented, and just plain fun to get to know. Just like the students I used to look forward to seeing so many years ago. I am already getting worried that when December rolls around, I will be too sad to leave! I am in the office on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8:00 am-4:00
pm, so feel free to stop by and say “hi.” And, if you see a little blonde- haired, blue-eyed boy riding around with his buddies from the daycare, gesturing wildly at the construction vehicles, that is probably my son Jack. Feel free to tell him hello, or just do your best vocal imitation of a bulldozer and watch him giggle.
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