College Night centers juniors and their parents

On Jan. 26, juniors and their parents/caregivers attended the second of three College Office programs dedicated to introducing families to the college process at Friends Academy. “There Is Always Light” invited students and adults to use queries, or open-ended Quaker questions, to offer each other advice about how to empower college-bound juniors, including, “How do we foster community and be considerate of others?” and “How do families support students who are navigating the highs and lows of the college process?”

Through a round-table discussion and community sharing, participants voiced the need for humility, encouragement, weighing options, asking for help, helping others when they are stressed, avoiding comparison, celebration of classmates, visiting schools that students want to see, knowing when to ease up, give space, and reminding each other when it all works out. Families also received a College Office "toolkit," which included a parent questionnaire for their first college counseling appointment, junior and senior year deadlines, and other resources.

A candlelit walk to an illuminated Matinecock Meeting House with a final Quaker Meeting for Worship closed the evening on a powerful note and a reminder of Amanda Gorman’s poetry, “For there is always light, If only we’re brave enough to see it, If only we’re brave enough to be it.”

Interweaving the Quaker value of Community throughout the college process is what both elevates and sets this journey apart for Friends Academy students. "Within our program, we recognize that community is crucial to not only deliver an exceptional education to students but to help them recognize that they must let their own light shine to benefit the common good," remarked Mr. Dugger. 

The event is intentionally scheduled in January at a time when the days start to lengthen. "The extra light we begin to experience day after day reminds us that there is always a better, brighter tomorrow, regardless of the challenges we may face," shared Mr. Dugger. "If we have faith and positivity, then we will always overcome and end up exactly where we are meant to be."

PHOTOS BY ALVIN CAAL/FRIENDS ACADEMY