Information for Potential Students
Dear Students and Families:
Welcome to the career and university exploration process! This is a process that can be stressful, but it should also be seen as a chance to be creative and thoughtful about your higher education future after African Leadership Academy. Ultimately, the selection of a college or university belongs to you (the student) and you should feel a sense of empowerment and freedom because of this. You can look forward to learning a great deal about yourself through this process.
The African Leadership Academy counseling team comprised of Laura Kaub and Chemeli Kipkorir, will work diligently with students to create career and university exploration lists and other possibilities for life after ALA. We encourage students to sign up and see us as often as they wish when school resumes in September; whether it be to discuss a particular school or choice of major, your application checklist, or if you just want to chat!. The more time we spend with you, the easier it is for us to help explore a university option that may work for you. Because parents and guardians will be participating from a distance, we ask you to keep them informed throughout your application and selection process. It is imperative we (students, families, and counselors), as a unit, stay on the same page throughout this journey!
One important piece of advice we can give is to not lose yourself during this process; if anything, this is a time to explore who you are and think about your future. Yes, this exploration can be stressful, but it can be many other things as well. If you stay on track with us, we can help in making the load lighter. Career and university counseling at ALA is like taking a course – follow the syllabus provided, ask questions when you are confused or unsure, and aim to get as much out of the process as possible. Do not listen--too much--to the outside world, as it will only add to your stress. Remember who you are, the skills you have honed while at African Leadership Academy, and what you ultimately want for yourself; this is key while exploring, and applying to colleges and universities.
In providing career and university guidance, the counselling team at ALA will focus on the attributes and personal success of each member of our student body; we take all aspects of a student’s academic and extracurricular career into consideration while helping them consider their possibilities after ALA. Our approach to counseling is to tailor the process to each student’s needs and goals. Our goal is to empower and encourage students to strive for the most competitive and challenging post-secondary options appropriate to their individual strengths and interests. To this end, we ask our students to think deeply and carefully about their talents and aspirations, set reasonable and appropriate goals and present themselves in a manner that will fully represent their strengths.
The ALA Counseling Office believes firmly that students must be the drivers throughout the post-secondary education search process. However, we recognize it as a collaborative effort between students, their families, and advisors, and we will work hard to keep them involved. We promise to be honest, forthright, and to provide you with many tools and aids during your search as we play our role in developing the next generation of African Leaders!
If you have any questions over the break, please e-mail Laura at lkaub@africanleadershipacademy.org or Chemeli at ckipkorir@africanleadershipacademy.org