Teacher Profile - Ms.Grace

Ms. Grace is our school’s college counselor, helping students plan their future after graduation. She meets with students to talk about college applications, majors, and career goals. Here are 10 questions I asked Ms. Grace to learn more about her role and her thoughts on helping students with their journey.

Life as a College Counselor

Q. What inspired you to become a college counselor?
"I grew up in New York as an immigrant and struggled a lot during grades 11 and 12 because both my parents and I knew very little about the college admissions process in the U.S. My math teacher back then helped me a lot with it,
recommending I apply for colleges outside New York City so I could see a
bigger world. He opened the school’s very first AP class, which was AP Calculus
AB, just so that my classmates and I were able to take it before we write the college
applications. He was the one who made me think about working for students,
especially adolescents and young adults who feel nervous about their future. I
would like to keep helping students find their own path to success and happiness.
Success here doesn’t mean getting accepted to top universities, though! Success, I believe, means finding your own self, which other people can’t copy."

Q. What’s the most rewarding part of your job, and what’s the most challenging?
"I feel rewarded when my students overcome their weaknesses and find their own 'colors'. As high school students, you may feel pressured to become the best at something and think that’s the only way to make yourself stand out from others. I believe it’s a lot more difficult to find your own color than to become, for example, the valedictorian in your class. On the other hand, I feel most challenged when my students only think about what others think is cool. Many times, I find it
unsuccessful to persuade them to think otherwise, which saddens me."

Q. What’s something most people don’t know about being a college counselor?
"That… a college counselor doesn’t know everything because college admissions
trends change every year. We have to keep “studying” so we know what we are
talking about!"

Q. If you weren’t a counselor, what job would you want to try?
"Before I immigrated to the U.S., I dreamed of becoming a teacher, specifically
Korean (국어) teacher because I loved reading. I still would like to teach if I were
to have an opportunity."

Ms.Grace's Advice for Students

Q. What’s one piece of advice you wish every teenager would know?
"Once you graduate, you will barely remember math formulas or historical facts you were forced to memorize for your finals; however, you will remember how hard you tried to achieve your very best. If trying your best doesn’t become a habit in high school, you will for sure regret it in your 20s and 30s."

Q. What’s one book, movie, or quote that has deeply influenced your perspective on life?
"The book 'Tuesdays with Morrie,' which I read a couple of times during high school, made me think deeply about what life is. Right before I turned 18, I was nervous and felt insecure about myself because I was worried if I would do well in college and so on. Morrie, in this book, taught me that a meaningful life is living today fully and that living today worrying about tomorrow is “foolish”. I personally highly recommend our students to include this book to their summer reading list!"

Q. How do you support students who are undecided about their future?
"I myself was undecided about my future when I was in high school, and that’s
okay! I studied mathematics as an undergraduate, but my first job was immigrant
paralegal and then a study abroad advisor at a college. I try to share my story with my students as much as possible and encourage them to have new experiences, whether it be traveling to a nearby city during break, reading a book, having a small talk with a teacher with whom they barely interacted, etc. You always have to start small. Deciding about your future is a very big thing, which nobody can do
overnight! Teenagers and even 20s have the privilege of trying new things without
worrying about failing."

Q. What advice would you give to students who feel overwhelmed or unsure about college?
"Let’s do what we can do first. You should dream big, but you can’t do everything at once. Small steps like writing down what you like the most or feel most confident about will eventually help your college application journey. I would also
recommend that students start from themselves, not from outside sources; if you feel overwhelmed, I think most of the time, you are too focused on comparing
yourself to others or some figures that colleges post on their websites. Take a
moment to look back on what you have achieved thus far and write those down. It
doesn’t matter if you think you only achieved so little or haven’t done much.
Always start from small things because that will help build your confidence!"

Q. What do you wish parents understood more about the pressures teens face today?
"The amount of information – any information, not just colleges – teens today are
exposed to is overwhelmingly a lot. Knowledge is power; however, too much of it
can create unnecessary pressures and even fear. I think these days, it’s wiser to filter out what you really need and want from the flooding information and I believe it is adults’ responsibility to teach the next generation about not getting easily swayed by different information."

Q. How can students balance academics, extracurriculars, and their mental health?
"It is very important to acknowledge that balancing those three is extremely difficult. Even adults find it very challenging to balance work, family, and mental health! However, again, you should take small steps to first build your confidence so that you do not feel overwhelmed. As a student, you should first finish your homework, review what you learned today, memorize some vocabulary words, study for quizzes or exams, do your best in the extracurricular activity you’re involved in and, think deeply about why you are doing all these. “To get into a good college” can be an answer, but that can only be one of the answers. Find the true meaning of why you are studying what you are studying, etc., so that even if it becomes difficult to balance academics, extracurriculars, and your mental health, you still have the burning motivation to keep going."