The "Business" of College

It is hard to find high school students who haven't started receiving mail from colleges - especially if you have ever taken the PLAN Test, PSAT, ACT, or SAT. At first it is often a rush of excitement to learn about different colleges and I know that lots of students will pour over the different brochures, booklets, or information packets. In time though most students get frustrated and overwhelmed by just how much mail comes from all of the different colleges. This is a perfect reminder that colleges are a business and they are marketing themselves as a result. When you get the mail from the colleges take a few minutes and look it over - remember, they are not saying you will be accepted, but it can help give you an idea about the characteristics and features that are most important to you in selecting the college that is best for you. Go ahead and keep any that look particularly appealing to you, but don't worry about throwing the rest away.

Aside from the onslaught of mail you are receiving, take some time to explore colleges which you think will be a good fit for YOU!  

6 things to think about when choosing a college

17 public colleges with out of state tuition under $10,000

Ohio university part of a new trend: fixed tuition

Gap Year

Have you heard of Gap Years? Without question, the majority of WKHS students move straight from high school to college, but this is not always the best option for every student. In the past few years I have had several students who elected to take a gap year which is a year off between high school and college. The one point that I would like to make though is that a gap year is not just hanging out at home, living in your parents basement, playing video games for a year. Students pursue lots of different options during gap years and colleges recognize that gap years can be a valuable opportunity for students to gain perspective, personal insight, and re-energize their love of learning before beginning their college careers.

Sometimes students elect to take a gap year if they haven't been accepted to a college where they feel like they will be happy to attend. In these instances students may decide to take a gap year and hope that their experiences during their gap year will enhance their applications for the following year when they apply the following year.

Other times, and perhaps even more frequently for Kilbourne students, is that students will still complete their applications during their senior year and then defer their acceptances for a year. If you are interested in pursuing a gap year opportunity, talk to your college admissions office to confirm if they will defer your enrollment date by a year (or a semester if you are taking a shorter time off between high school and college).

Want to learn more about gap year programs and opportunities? Check out these articles:

8 things to know about a gap year

The gap year advantage

3 easy steps to plan the perfect gap year

Finding your path: gap years create bridge between school and ‘real life’

8 ways to make the most of your gap year

Tufts University will pay students to take a gap year

National Decision Day

Seniors, by now you are hopefully well aware of the fact that Thursday, May 1st is national college decision day.  The colleges have all united in the fact that they will not require you to make decisions about where you will attend prior to May 1st, but this is one of the deadlines that is firm.  As you are aware, through the college application process each college has their own timeline and often have different application deadlines, financial aid deadlines, and announce their admission decisions at different times, but May 1st is a universal deadline among all colleges requiring students to declare their decision.  Please remember that this not only means that you have informed the college of your choice that you intend to attend their college, but it also typically includes submitting a deposit.  As you reach the final hours of your decision making window, if you need to talk out your choice with someone, please feel free to stop in and talk to me.  You can, of course, also use my books and the resources that I have in my office to help guide your decision making.

Here is an article that might help you feel better too:

3 reasons not to overthink your final college choice

Time is Running Out

Seniors have just 19 days of classes remaining (graduation is exactly 4 weeks from today) and underclassmen have 24 days (including the 3 exam days) before summer break.

Obviously, that means every moment counts if you are not doing well in your classes and you are trying to pull off a passing grade for the semester.  It is essential that you spend the remaining weeks taking care of your classes so that you do not jeopardize your future.

The truth is that this last month of the school year is essential for many WKHS students.

For seniors, I realize that there is a rampant case of senioritis running through the school, but I must remind you that next year you will be heading to college. You have already received your acceptance letters and decided where you will be attending school next year so it seems like your grades this last semester don't really matter... except they do! You must submit a final transcript to your college. If you go back and read the acceptance letters that the colleges sent to you, you will notice the fine print that points out that they can turn you down if you don't maintain the level of grades that they expect from you and your past performance. Last year schools did turn away hundreds of students and I can't even imagine how hard it was for a student to believe they knew where they would be attending to suddenly find out that they couldn't go there any more because they blew off school during their final semester.  The other comment I hear from seniors often is that school doesn't matter now, but that next year, in college, when it matters they will turn it around and try. While I would love to believe you (and I hope you are right), the reality is that it isn't always that easy. Bad habits are hard to break. Next year there won't be anyone bugging you about turning in homework or reminding you that a paper or project is due next week. They won't accept late papers. Most professors won't check attendance and they don't care if you want to throw your money away by not attending class. It is your introduction to the real world. At WKHS if you show up late to class and get a tardy or two you end up with a detention. In the real world, if you show up late for work you get fired. At WKHS if you can't manage to turn in a paper or project on time, teachers take points off and it might hurt your grade, but in the real world the devastation of not following through and meeting the expectations of your boss are much more serious. I know, you think I am just nagging and I promise that I am not trying to lecture you, but I am worried. The last few weeks of high school need to be a time to practice developing some good habits. For many of you, you have taken a long enough break at the beginning of this quarter. Spend time studying. Work on your organization skills. Practice taking better notes. All of those things will help you in college and in the future.

For the underclassmen... it is far too early for you to be claiming senioritis (although I heard that from quite a few students recently). The classes that you are taking now will impact your grades and grade point average! Having a higher grade point average doesn't guarantee you admission to the school of your dreams, but it does provide you with more options. For most of your classes - you need it to meet graduation requirements. (Even your elective classes as you need multiple credits of electives to graduate.) It always surprises me when students give up at this point in the year. I don't understand it. If I was faced with the option of working really hard for the last 4 weeks of school and kicking butt on the exams or taking the class for an entire semester (or year) again over the summer or next year there is no question that I would apply myself now. That is what so many of you need to do. Stop and think about it for a moment. Your 3rd quarter grade was worth 40% of your semester grade. This quarter's grade is worth another 40% of your semester grade and your final exam makes up the remaining 20%. That means that with your exam and this quarter you are dealing with 60% of your total points for the semester. Hopefully you realize that this also means that you can still pass, but you must commit yourself now and not let a single point slip by without trying to earn it.  Every point matters! Talk to your teachers, get input from them on what you need to do differently in order to turn things around in your classes. Please, don't wait until it is too late. If you have already realized that there is no way to pass the class and your teacher agrees that there is no hope, please come and see me so that we can talk about what your plan is to make up the class. Are you going to take it during the summer? Are you going to take it next year? If you are taking it next year does that bump out any of your other classes because you are now missing the requirements? There is a great deal to consider. If you aren't going to be able to pass one class, please work hard to make sure that you pass all of the others. As soon as you realize that one class is a lost cause it doesn't mean that all of the others are gone too. Try to use your time wisely and put more effort into the ones that still have hope. Feel free to stop in and talk to me if you need help developing a plan on how to focus your energy and effort to passing your classes.

Believe me, I do understand that it is hard to focus right now. And yes, I admit that I don't always want to get up and come to school when there are other things that sound more appealing for the day. But we only have one today and the decisions we make today have a much bigger influence than we can imagine. Make the most of today!

Here are some articles related to academic success which may help you:

Senioritis

Best way to take notes

15 secrets of getting good grades in college

(OK, so this article is talking about steps for being academically successful in college, but in the future you will be needing to embrace the opportunities for maximizing your academic skills when in college and this article may help.)

The how not to study guide

Top 10 tips for taking essay tests

13 tips for prepping for your next test

Warning!  Bad students ahead

(OK, let’s hope none of these are you, but it is provides a frame of reference and a good reminder to make sure that you don’t end up in these categories of being a bad student.)

6 study habits that could be hurting your grade

Student guide to effective note taking

Study group or study alone

What is active study?

Got naughty study habits?

23 science backed study tips to ace a test

Getting organized effectively in nine easy steps

Prom

Tonight is prom night for WKHS juniors and seniors. This is an exciting and memorable night for students and I hope you have a great evening. Let's be honest, I also hope that it is a safe evening! You want prom to be memorable because it was a positive experience...

Congratulations and Good Luck to Maggie Barrie and Danny Darby who are on the Prom Court!

Hopefully you have finalized all of your plans and are looking forward to a great night both at prom and at After-Hours. It should be a fun and memorable evening.

One last reminder about safety - please remember to talk with your parents before you leave tonight about what you will do if you end up in an unexpected situation and need help. Have a good time - be smart and be safe!

Teacher Recommendation Letters

Recommendation letters are a time consuming process requiring a great deal of thought and time. Juniors, as you finalize the list of schools where you will be applying next fall, it is important to determine if you are going to need a recommendation letter from a teacher (or two). Many of the Ohio schools - Ohio University, BGSU, Kent State, etc. do not require teacher recommendations.  Because rec letters are a time consuming process, if the colleges where you are applying do not require recommendations, then do not waste your teacher's time by requesting letters that won't be needed or used. 

If you are applying to schools that need teacher recommendation letters, it is very helpful and beneficial to the teachers if you can give them as much time as possible to write your recommendation letters. That means, if you know now that you are going to be applying to a school which needs a teacher rec letter, then I would like for you to ask the teachers this spring allowing them to have the entire summer to write your letter. (These next few weeks are a great time to ask!)  After you ask your teacher(s), you will want to provide them with information that can help them as they write your letter. We have several handouts in the counseling and career center and on the WKHS Counselor website that you can use for this purpose.

Making the Final Decision

This is the final week for seniors who are trying to decide what college they will be attending next year. Remember, there is no right or wrong choice– it is all about what school is the best fit for you and your individual wants and needs in a college. Try to take a deep breath and relax as we head into this week. Trust yourself and know that you will be successful in the future – no matter where you end up!

As you think about your different schools and compare and contrast them, it is essential that you determine what you really want in a school and what is most important to you in a college. If you are still struggling with your choice, then chances are pretty good that the schools that you have narrowed your decision down to are probably relatively similar.

Take the time to go back and look at the same factors you considered when picking which schools you wanted to apply to and try to get really picky about the different factors that played into your choice. Perhaps creating a chart can help you clarify how important each factor is to you and how each school compares in that category. For example, think about the location of the school. How important is that issue to you in picking a college? The schools are likely within your comfort zone of a location from home, but when looking at two colleges consider how far or close they are from your family. What does it mean to you if the school is 10 minutes away, 4 hours away, or a flight away? How important is it to you to be able to come home for an evening, a weekend, or a holiday? You can also look at the size of the school. Consider the advantages and disadvantages of the different sizes of schools. For example, the larger school might provide additional choices and the smaller school may provide better teacher/ student ratios. What is more important to you? And if both are important to you then you will need to consider what you will do to adapt to make sure that the school will meet your needs. Consider the social life and activities on and around the campus. Is it what you picture for your college years? Most importantly, you need to figure out what categories and issues are critical to you and compare the school on those aspects.

I know that the time remaining is very limited, but if your school comparison charts are similar and you still can’t decide – go visit the schools again. Sit in on the classes and, if possible, arrange for an overnight visit (yes, you are really running out of time for overnight visits). People watch and consider your interactions with the students on campus. Are the students friendlier at one school over the other? What about the professors that you talk to? Are they engaging and whose classes are you most interested in attending? How was school safety? What strategies are in place to help keep students safe? Which campus support staff (admissions, financial aid, etc.) is friendlier and more helpful? (While this is not necessarily a key factor it can give you an image of the school and a glimpse at their values as an academic institution.)

Ask yourself if the school will meet your academic needs, if you will have the social life you desire, and if your family can make the investment. As you are progressing through your decision making process, remember not to be shy about asking questions and getting them answered because you are entitled to feel confident in your decision. This is your choice. You are not a victim in this process – you are the key active participant. Remember that if you want to stop in and talk about your college decision I am always here for you, but know that I can’t make this decision for you – just like your family and friends can’t make this choice for you. The good news – the stress is almost over and you will be relieved to be able to finally answer the question that everyone asks endlessly of “Where are you going to college?”

Also, here are some articles about making the decision that might help you:

Review your offer of financial aid with an eye on  your future

The devil is in the details: sizing up college financial aid offers

Selecting the right fit college is crucial to college success

Questions to ask once accepted

How to choose a college after acceptance letters arrive

April vacation could help you make final college decision

Letter of Intent

Congratulations to Haley Defibaugh and Lydia DeWeese who signed their national letters of intent to play volleyball in college.  Haley will be continuing her athletic career at Slippery Rock.  Lydia will be playing next year at the University of Wisconsin Green Bay. They had their "signing" ceremony after school today which represented their accomplishments that had been years in the making. Haley and Lydia were surrounded by family members, coaches, teammates, and friends who attended to show their support and to celebrate this great accomplishment with them. Congratulations Haley and Lydia! We are proud of you!

On a totally different note - we have a really funky schedule tomorrow.  We will be having a modified 3A/ 3B schedule.  During 3A each of the grades will divide for class meetings.  During the class meetings for most of the grades, you will hear presentations from the students running for class officer positions.  During 3B everyone will go to class.  Below is the bell schedule.

7:45 - 8:30: 1st Period
8:35 - 9:20: 2nd Period
9:25 - 9:35: 3rd Period Attendance and move to designated location
9:35 - 10:05: Class Assembly (Freshmen will meet in the Aux Gym, Sophomores to the Commons, Juniors to the Auditorium, and Seniors to the Main Gym.) 
10:05 - 10:10: Return to class
10:10 - 10:55: 3rd Period Class
11:00 - 11:45: 4th Period Class
11:50 - 12:35: 5th Period Class
12:40 - 1:25: 6th Period Class
1:30 - 2:15: 7th Period Class
2:20 - 3:05: 8th Period Class

Senior Reminders

Seniors, this is a busy time of year and you have a lot of pieces to pay attention to so I thought it might be helpful if I gave you a few reminders...

-  Caps and Gowns: You should have picked up your Cap and Gown already.  If you forgot to order your cap and gown, please stop by the counseling center to get the phone number for National Recognition Products and call to place your order right away!  Don't forget, if you had planned on using an older sibling's cap and gown, you will not be able to do that because of a change in style.  There is an exchange option that will allow you to trade in your sibling's gown to be able to order your cap and gown at a discounted rate.

-  Diploma Presenter Form:  If you plan on asking someone to present you with your diploma at graduation - the deadline for submitting your presenter request form to the co-curricular office was (technically) last Thursday, but you can still turn in your form if you forgot to submit it. I love the fact that you all have this opportunity as a way to make graduation an even more memorable experience. If you do not select someone to give you your diploma, an administrator from WKHS or central office or a school board member will present your diploma to you.

-  Senior Pictures:  I sincerely hope that you have already taken care of submitting your senior picture to Mrs. Mullen so that they can be included in the Yearbook.  If you didn't get your picture taken, please see Mrs. Mullen to make alternate arrangements.

-  Post-Secondary and Final Transcript Release Form: Included in the senior packet that was mailed to your house was a post-secondary and final transcript release form.  This is a mandatory form that you must return no later than May 2nd.  This form not only outlines your college decisions and scholarships received, but it also allows you to indicate where you would like your final transcript to be mailed after graduation.  The information collected about colleges and scholarships will be used when putting together the information for Senior Recognition Night and when they are creating the graduation program so it is very important that the information is accurate! (For example, in the past a student called one scholarship by the wrong name and the parents were upset that it was listed wrong, so please double check to give the correct details.) If students do not complete the form the school will not have anything to list in the commencement program, so please take a few minutes and complete the information completely and accurately!

-  Baccalaureate Baby Pictures:  The committee that is working on putting together the video of every senior's baby picture and senior picture are anxiously awaiting your baby pictures.  Please make sure to get this turned in asap.

-  Senior Tea:  For those of you who have grown up in Worthington, this is one of those awesome traditions which you get to enjoy.  Each of the elementary schools invite graduating seniors to come back to your former school to be able to see some of the staff members who had started you on your educational journey and walk the halls where the fun all began.  To the best of my knowledge, all of the elementary schools are hosting their senior teas this Wednesday afternoon and I hope you will take advantage of the opportunity to visit your old stomping grounds as well as thanking the teachers and other staff members who helped make a difference in your life.

Procrastination

Recently I have been talking with students a lot about procrastination.  The reality is that procrastination doesn’t mean you are lazy or incapable, but it does often result in increased stress levels. There are no quick fixes and, as with most things in life, what works for one person will not necessarily work for someone else so it is important to find a strategy that will work effectively for you.

I doubt that any of these suggestions will be ideas that you have never heard of before, but it comes down to deciding that you want to try to make a change. So, reward yourself for progress made because it does take time to improve.

Some ideas to help combat procrastination:
Plan ahead.

Break your big projects, assignments, or responsibilities down into smaller, more manageable tasks.

Commit to spending at least 15 minutes working on something that you have been avoiding.

Remind yourself that there is not going to be a better time – not tomorrow, not next weekend, or next month – something else will always come up that continues to contribute to the procrastination.

Ask for help.

Focus on the desired outcome – rather than your fear or inaction.

Be realistic – most tasks take far longer than you expect.

Minimize Distractions… and take care of whatever is distracting you.

Let go of perfectionism. (And, for those of you who are perfectionists, I know that this is a hard one, but the reality is that many things aren’t worth doing perfectly, so just start and do your best – it will still be better than not doing it at all.)

Recruit a friend to help keep you accountable. (If you tell someone else about your goal or plan to battle your typical procrastination blocks, you are more likely to follow through, but please make sure it is a friend who will help you stay accountable not convince you that it is OK to put off starting your paper for a few more days.)

Do the hard part first… or… do the easy part first. (Whichever is more motivating to you is the one you should choose.)

Keep track of your progress so you don't lose sight of how much you've accomplished.

The bottom line is that if you get it done when you need to instead of procrastinating, you’ll feel better about yourself and have less stress… so get to work. :-)

The following article gives additional ideas for tips to beat procrastination: http://psychcentral.com/lib/2007/tips-to-beat-procrastination/

College Visits: Part of Search

A few years ago I read an article written by a mom regarding her experience taking her daughter to start looking at colleges. On the road again, looking for the perfect fit points out the importance of trying to figure out what you are really looking for in a school and what is most important to you when selecting a college.

A few of the points I particularly liked from this mom's reflections include the fact that she encouraged her daughter to look at schools that were outside of her first instinct of what she thought she would enjoy for her future. Let me clarify that point, in no way am I saying that you should go to a college for the future where you will not be happy and do not see yourself fitting in, but I have realized that a lot of students don't really know what it is that they do or do not like about a campus. Looking at all different types of schools - large, small, urban, rural, etc. - will help you figure out exactly what you do and do not like. This will also help you refine and narrow your search to find other schools that will best fit your interests. The other point that I liked was the fact that the mom and daughter used this as a time to connect and enjoy being together. The reality is that high school flies past and you will be moving out of your parents home and starting college before long. Making positive memories together and enjoying the time you are spending while looking at schools is important. Yes, I understand that this process can be stressful, but it can also be fun. Try to approach the college search and your college visits with a positive attitude and cut your parents a break if they are driving you crazy about it all. Remember, they are trying to help, they are stressed about this too and, most importantly, they want what is best for you.

Here are some articles related to college visits that might interest you:

9 things not to do on a college tour

When is the best time to visit a college?

How to get the best information on a college tour

Do college tour guides really tell you what college is like?

Questions to ask college students while visiting the college

8 reasons to do an overnight college visit

Picking a College

For seniors, the countdown to final decision time for picking the college of your dreams is rapidly approaching. For juniors, you are beginning your search and trying to determine which schools you can imagine in your future.

There are so many resources available to review and consider to aid you in making your decision. Campus visits, reviewing the college websites and meetings with admissions representatives when they visit Kilbourne are all great strategies for learning more about the college and finding the school that is the best match for you. I want to remind you that a wealth of information and resources are also available in my office that you are welcome to come in and read to help you in making your choice. There are books that give perspectives of different colleges based upon the responses current college students have provided in surveys about school, others that rank selectivity of schools based upon majors, and others that provide insight about the schools from expert researchers.

I know that this process can be stressful and overwhelming, but hopefully you are also finding it fun and exciting. As always, let me know how I can help you sort out your options.

College Acceptances (or not...)

It has been an emotional roller-coaster for many students over the past few weeks as they agonized the wait for the news about college acceptances. Some of the bigger "names" as far as colleges are concerned announced unbelievably low acceptance rates. The most important thing for everyone to keep in mind is that there is not just one perfect school - it truly is about finding the right match and while that certainly doesn't make everything better for those who are disappointed, it does not take away the fact that incredible students who were very well qualified had to be rejected from schools. Sadly, it is in part a guessing game and the colleges are trying to make their best guess on who will actually attend their school and contribute to their campus community. As I have said before, there are simply no guarantees...

Below are articles which highlight the latest admissions rates as well as receiving college decisions as a whole:

Ivy league acceptance rates for class of 2018

The up’s and down’s of Ivy League admissions

Admissions redux 2014

Stanford remains the most selective school in the country

You got rejected from your dream school: now what?

Paper or plastic: How students prefer to learn their application results

If rejected from a college, can you appeal?

What exactly is a likely letter?

Is federal work-study a good way to pay for college?

3 steps to take if you are rejected from your dream college

Rejected at Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Princeton & Yale? Happy April!

3 options you can choose if you didn’t get into your first choice college

6 useful tips for handling college decisions

How to get your kid over their college rejection

March madness for college admissions decisions

Admitted, denied or waitlisted?  Here’s what to do next.

What this year’s college results mean to next year’s seniors

5 ways to move from college rejection to acceptance

College scholarship scams you can’t afford to ignore

Are you really ready for college?

It’s not too late: colleges still accepting applications

Diploma Presenter

A reminder to all seniors - if you plan on asking someone to present you with your diploma at graduation - the deadline for submitting your presenter request form to the co-curricular office is Friday, April 18th. I love the fact that you all have this opportunity as a way to make graduation an even more memorable experience. If you do not select someone to give you your diploma, an administrator from central office or a school board member will present your diploma to you.

My Visit to UK

Last week I was invited to participate in a counselor educational experience at the University of Kentucky.  As a UK grad who had not been on campus for 15 years, I was very excited for the chance to go back to explore the campus and learn more about their admissions process and vision for the university.

In all honesty, the trip to Lexington and the University of Kentucky blew me away.  I loved it!  I have never been so proud to be associated with UK before in my life.  Consider this fair warning... I have a lot of pictures to share with you because I suspect that will be the best way I can give you a glimpse of the college and the opportunities which await you should you be interested in attending UK in the future.






















As with any campus tour, it helps if the weather is nice and we had BEAUTIFUL weather for 2 of the days.  Another aspect that I loved about my trip to UK was the Big Blue PRIDE that was everywhere I turned.  Not only are walls and presentations filled with UK pride, but as we walked around campus I continually passed students wearing their UK gear with pride.  (And yes, we did even pass 1 UK basketball player while touring campus.)

We had the chance to tour the library.  These pictures show the outside of the library and some of the different areas within the library.

There are also some particular areas within the library that included the media center and writing lab which provide great resources and opportunities for students.

While on campus, they took us to see the newest dorm rooms that were opened this past year and they have many more new dorms being opened this coming fall as well as more planned in the years to come.  These new dorms were unreal.  Not only did
they look beautiful from the outside, but the dorm lobby even made me think of a hotel.  The dorm room was beautiful with two people sharing a connecting bathroom with another room of 2 people.








The recreation center, the Johnson Center, has basketball courts, an indoor track, workout equipment, weights, and a rock climbing wall - all with the football stadium just out back through the windows.

We had the chance to meet with the President of the University, Dr. Eli Capilouto, (left) and we had multiple opportunities to spend time with Don Witt (right), Associate Provost for Enrollment Management.  These are 2 very impressive representatives of the university.  They also provided us with the opportunity to meet with representatives from all of the different colleges to hear about the programs and admissions requirements that they are looking for in future students.

One of the things that was interesting to learn about was the cost of attendance at UK and some of their automatic scholarships.  Tuition costs $21,192 for out of state students.  The cost for room and board varies depending on what type of dorm you pick as well as which food plan is right for you.  They have 3 automatic academic scholarships for students who qualify.  The "See Blue" scholarship is for students with a 3.00 unweighted GPA and a 25 ACT and gives $7,000 per year.  The "Bluegrass Spirit" scholarship gives $8,000 per year to

students with a 3.5 unweighted GPA and a 25 ACT.  The "Kentucky Heritage" scholarship awards $10,000 to students with a 3.5 unweighted GPA and a 30 on the ACT.  There are additional competitive scholarships available for students which can be added on top of these automatic academic scholarships.  My guess is that this could make UK a very affordable option for many of you.

They also shared with us that next year there will be an early action deadline of December 1st which will also be their scholarship priority deadline.  So, if you are interested in applying to UK next year, please be sure to keep in mind this updated deadline.

Because the college experience also involves the greater community surrounding the campus, they took us on tours of some of Lexington's highlights.  This included a bus tour of some of the horse farms, a visit to Woodford Reserve, and time at Keeneland.

And, since I always ask for you to take an "Oh the Places You'll Go" picture somewhere on campus, I

wanted to do the same.  I elected to take my picture in the place where I spent the vast majority of my time in college - the athletic training room.  I am pictured here with the head athletic trainer for football, Jim Madaleno.  I had the chance to work with Jim during my senior year.  While there have been many changes to the training room and football facility, it was also nice to see just how much had remained the same and to experience all the

memories that were overwhelmingly powerful.  This wasn't a standard part of the counselor visit to UK, but I am so thankful that I was able to go back to "my home" after the counselor event concluded.

It was, unquestionably, an awesome experience and I hope you will stop by to see the additional pictures or information that I have if you are interested in exploring UK as an option for your future!