Ciara is a Jersey girl and Yankees fan (we don't hold it against her), who graduated from Southern Connecticut State with a double major in Library Science and Psychology and William Paterson University with her master's in Clinical and Counseling Psychology. Outside of 12+, you can find Ciara running and exploring Philly with her dogs, Rocco and Curtis. Ciara brings her wide range of celebrity impersonations and humor to the Kensington Health Sciences Academy PLUS Center this year. 

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” I find myself asking some variation of this question daily. As seniors at Kensington Health Sciences are finalizing college applications, juniors and underclassman are beginning to chat about their college plans. My first questions always pertain to, “Well, what do you want to do?” Some students launch into detailed descriptions of their ideal job, degree and even anticipated salary. Other students list five to ten unrelated career paths, with the intention of conquering the entire list. Others still, respond with a blank stare flavored with a horrifying realization of the future. I was oblivious to the pressure conveyed with my question until I was put in the hot seat myself. 

About a month ago, Christie Garton, founder of UChic*, met with female students at Kensington Health Sciences Academy to learn about their stories and role models. As the “grown-ups” in the room, the 12+ staff was asked to share what their dream in life is and what steps they have taken towards that dream. I responded, about my dream to provide family therapy in underserved communities. I backed up my dream with the Master’s degree that I received in Clinical and Counseling Psychology, and experience providing family therapy in a group home setting. I listened to the dreams of my peers and felt inspired, then carried on with my day.

It was not until later that evening that I sat on my couch and realized for the first time, I felt uneasy about my response. Sure, I would love to continue my work as a counselor and provide family therapy where it is needed. The truth is, however, I would also love to pursue a counseling and teaching career at a higher education institution. For a very long time my dream was to be a librarian. I have the bachelor’s degree to support it. My dream to publish a book is not dead yet, nor is my dream to become a yoga instructor with the ability to incorporate therapeutic teachings in sessions. I will admit there is still a large part of me holding onto my stand-up comedian dream. The point is, my dream has changed and will continue to change.

When put in the position to answer for myself, essentially I panicked. I responded with the first thing that came to my mind. It is never my intention to pressure our students to provide an answer for their dreams. Instead, as a 12+ Fellow, I want to accompany them on the journey to figure out their dream, change it, and figure it out again! After this valuable experience I have made an effort to share the message that it is okay to change your dream. I comfort students who may not know yet what they want and spread a more important message -- that you have time to figure out your constantly evolving dream.

* UChic is an organization focused on empowering the dreams of young women and funding the extracurricular expenses of their dream through scholarships. 

Shaunette (or Shaunie) is a Brooklyn-grown graduate from Daemen College. She comes to 12+ after working in marketing and sales at highly innovative software company. Shaunie is obsessed with reality TV and hair design. This year, her sparkling personality and positive energy fills the Kensington Health Sciences PLUS Center. 

My life as a Fellow revolves around the Kensington Health Sciences Academy (KHSA) PLUS Center. This year the KHSA Team, also known as K-Squad, is an all-female team. Since the beginning of the school year, only the students that are frequent visitors to the Plus Center remember our names. Therefore, we have retired our official names and now respond simultaneously to any student that say, “Miss.” Although the majority of students have not yet learned my name, the past two months of my Fellowship experience has been phenomenal.

Just this past weekend, we celebrated the seniors for taking the SAT. Our seniors were extremely nervous like many other seniors throughout the nation preparing for the SAT. In an effort to ease their nervousness, K-Squad gave the students wake up calls and also met them at their testing locations. At 7:45 AM on a Saturday morning, I had no issues exerting cheerful energy to boost the students’ enthusiasm. I could tell that the students appreciated this because they were no longer focused on their nervousness. We are anxiously awaiting the test results, but also reassuring our students that they are more than a test score and most colleges/universities will consider their entire body of work.

KHSA Team and students at the NACAC College Fair

Over the weekend we also participated in the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) College Fair at the Philadelphia Convention Center. The seniors had a tremendous time meeting with the representatives from over 400 colleges that participated in the college fair. My days at the KHSA PLUS Center are filled with an array of activities. I find this extremely exhilarating, and I often find myself saying, “OMG, is school already over … we just got here!!”

My students are my world, and I enjoy celebrating their successes and helping them overcome their shortcomings. Not only am I assisting students academically and building a college-going culture at KHSA, but I am also discovering new things about myself and enhancing my professional skills in areas of empathy and flexibility while building effective relationships with the individuals I interact with on a daily basis. I am thrilled to see what other adventures the rest of the year brings.

Jennifer (call her Jenn) comes to 12+ after graduating from Bryn Mawr College with a degree in English. Outside of Penn Treaty, where she serves as a Fellow, you can find Jenn at Bikram yoga or at home with her four lovable cats.  Widely talented, Jenn can do it all from whipping up the perfect baked goods to breathing fire. As a Fellow, Jenn brings her set of talents to her students, showing vulnerability and celebrating successes.

When the new class of Fellows was in training, we heard a lot about how hard the year ahead would be. We had conversations about the ways our students struggle, and how it can be so difficult to listen without being able to solve every problem. We heard, over and over, that the best parts of the year would involve building relationships and celebrating successes.

I thought I was prepared, but I still went into Penn Treaty ready to be humbled. I’m glad that’s the way I started, because every day I’ve discovered new and different things that I’m not actually great at. I’m a terrible dancer, for one, and the students are not shy about making sure I know that I’m embarrassing them.

The first time a student asked me for help with math homework, early in the year, I looked at it for five minutes and then said, “You know what? I’m going to grab Frank- he’s done this more recently, and I don’t want to tell you the wrong way to do it! But find me as soon as you have homework in any other class.”

It worked out, and my dignity was unharmed. I’m not sure if the student caught on that I had no idea what the problem was asking, but I know that he got the help he needed once I turned him toward Frank.

Most days are filled with a combination of those small failures and (way more fun!) celebrations of success. This week, like every other since September, has felt like every day was a month-long marathon adventure. We took the PLUS Leaders to Temple University, I helped a student read an essay riddled with giant words that he had never seen, and one of my senior advisees got her first college acceptance letters. I’ve played (and lost) more games of chess than I can count, and I got positive feedback from a crop of freshmen who I really thought would never warm up to us.

Of all the things I wasn’t prepared for, I think the feeling of pride for my students is the most overwhelming. I am overcome, every day, with the sense that I am being changed by the way they trust me, the way they confide in me, the way they have decided that I’m a person worthy of their time. I am unsure about what I did to deserve an entire school filled with such amazing people, but I am working as hard as I can to make them proud.