College Counseling Newsletter June 2019 Dear Students and Parents, Summer is here! Congratulations to all of you for successfully navigating another academic year. And, another congratulations to the wonderful Class of 2019 for their recent graduation and best of wishes with their future plans. Now, for the rest of you, it is time for some rest and relaxation! Be sure to prioritize some recovery time over the summer so that you are able to return in August refreshed and energized for another great year. What follows below are mostly in the order of reminders and tips, but please take the time to look through them all! Please be aware that all past newsletters can be found on our Social Media Mash-Up page, an aggregation of all of our various outlets: our blog, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. If you are on any of these platforms, please follow and engage with us! In particular, be aware of our daily Facebook posts, helpful for students and parents alike! Here are some important items for everyone: -
Save the Date: The 2019 College Counseling Symposium for parents of all Upper School students will be held at 7pm on the evening of Wednesday, August 21. -
Save the Date: The second-annual CAT College Fair will be held on Saturday, September 14. -
Around the Office: What other things do you wish you did in college? - Recommended Summer Reading Lists: Each summer, members of the College Counseling office share a book they recommend or plan to read. Think about joining us!
- Mr. Emanuel: Zeitoun by Dave Eggers. It's a wonderful reminder of the importance of good works after tragedy and the importance of withholding judgement. Also, Human Acts by Han Kang. A brilliant but accessible novel by the Korean writer of The Vegetarian fame. Centered on the Gwangju student uprising, the novel tackles everything from political corruption to collective identity to compassion with poignant insight.
- Ms. Gim: The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down by Haemin Sunim. In our fast-paced society, it is important for us to take a step back and truly be present in the moment. While this is a reminder that we have all heard before, it is easier said than done. I hope this book can give you the opportunity to reduce the unnecessary worries and stress and allow you to better appreciate your daily life.
- Mr. Gursky: Option B by Adam Grant and Sheryl Sandberg is a book about building resilience and finding meaning in the face of adversity. Topics covered include a range of life-changing challenges, including grief and loss, health, and family challenges.
- Mr. Zimmerman: Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. This is a story spanning 100 years in the 20th century, focusing on the immigrant experience. It explores issues of identity and assimilation, and gave me a greater appreciation for the history of naturalized Japanese of Korean descent.
- Ms. Hamre: The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson. My best friend sent it to me last year as she was recovering from breast cancer, and it's amazing. A really powerful historical narrative of several African American individuals and families who left the American South in search of opportunity, and how it all links to many of today's destructive and divisive racial (and social, and political) inequalities.
- Ms. Kok: Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. Set in the 1990s in a quiet suburban town, "Little Fires Everywhere" is a story that uncovers deep family secrets and explores issues of privilege, race and societal expectations. I read and loved Celeste Ng's first novel Everything I Never Told You and so this book has been on my list for a while now. Should be an easy summer read that still makes you think!
Thank you for your time in reviewing our monthly newsletter. Let us know if there is anything else we might do to be helpful! There are no newsletters over the summer months, so be on the lookout for the next one in September! On a closing note, this is my last communique before departing Taipei American School. It has been a great personal and professional honor to serve this community, and I wish all of you nothing but the very best in the future. If you find yourself in Senegal, look me up! Best wishes for a bright future! Have a great summer! Mr. Jeffrey Neill Director of College Counseling No. 800, Sec. 6, Chung-Shan N. Rd., Taipei, Taiwan Phone: +886 (2) 2873-9900 Fax: +886 (2) 2873-1641 School website: https://www.tas.edu.tw |