Earlier this fall, Davis Maine Scholarship Program Director Ace Barrera posed a question to Davis Maine Scholars currently attending college. What would have helped them better transition from high school to college? Their answers helped Ace and EdGE Secondary and Post-Secondary Program Director Christy Oliveri create a series of workshops to provide high school students with tips and guidance.
The workshop will cover a wide range of topics including being away from home for the first time to matching career and major. This series is meant to be a supplement to what students are learning about in school. The first workshop in December focused on how to move away from home and find “your people” at college. Christy explains, “Most students in Downeast Maine are moving at least one to two hours away from home which can be a hard transition for many students. Students who find a support network at school often have an easier transition.”
The second workshop in January will help students prepare for the difference between high school and college classes. Davis Maine Scholars have said that their college classes are often a challenge for them. They had to learn new study skills and figure out how to navigate things like faculty office hours and study groups. Mission President John Zavodny, who was previously Chief of Staff at Unity College, will share his insights from working with students throughout their college journeys.
The next workshop on in February will cover finances around college including budgeting and saving, as well as working while attending college. Mission Board President Matt Skaves, who served as Birchbrook’s former Chief Investment Officer, will provide guidance on different ways to budget.
The remaining three workshops focus on exploring careers and how students can match their college studies and major to a possible career path. The first workshop looks at how to turn an interest, ability, or talent into a career. The second talk explores tools and resources students can use to develop a career path during college. The last workshop will cover how to connect college majors to a future career path. Christy explains these talks came from students’ desires to learn more about careers parths when they are deciding on colleges and majors.
The workshops on January 18 and February 15 will be held virtually on Zoom and the workshops on March 21, April 25, and May 16 will be held at the Mission’s Weald Bethel Community Center, 39 Weald Bethel Lane, Cherryfield. These workshops are free and are open to students in eastern Hancock and Washington County. For more information or for a link to the virtual talks contact Ace at abarrera@seacoastmission.org or (207) 478-4334.
Learn more about the Mission’s Scholarships as well as the Davis Maine Scholarship.