Modeling Lifelong Learning

Four years into her tenure at Emma Willard School as director of Practicum, Bridget McGivern is helping students find their interest and stride while modeling lifelong learning and how to embrace the possibility of failure.

Bridget McGivern reflects on her time so far as the director of Practicum by considering what brought her to the campus: “I was very impressed that Emma invests in independent study and experiential learning. That long-standing commitment that says we will help you do what you want to do. I thought, wow that’s a really cool job! And now it’s my job!”

The previous director, Anne Mossop, helped mentor Bridget as she stepped into the role. Some key moments during their initial conversation about the job (Anne happily retired in 2019 after over 21 years of service at Emma Willard) gave Bridget a crucial look into what it would take to be successful in such a unique position. Sitting in the cozy rectangular office outside Kiggins Auditorium that day, students popped in and out looking for help with a broken computer, for guidance with a project, or just to say hi. “I got the sense that this is a grand central station!” Bridget says. An invaluable source of institutional memory, Anne helped Bridget transition into her new role the summer before the school year started. What is now Bridget’s office is still a hub of activity—it’s certainly become known as a place to go with a question, though a selection of curated snacks that invite students and employees in for guidance helps!

What exactly is Practicum at Emma Willard School? Existing since the 1970s in various iterations, the program helps students find success with hands-on experience in a variety of fields. “It’s a very wide umbrella,” Bridget says, describing Practicum in how it intersects with the other experiential learning opportunities at the school. “It holds everything from students who play softball at a high level on a travel team and don’t need to take after-school PE, to kids who have topped out our offerings in a niche subject, to those pursuing science research at a higher or different level off-campus.”

Overwhelmingly, the key component of the program is a sense of flexibility to accommodate whatever a student is interested in. A Practicum experience might grow into a Signature project, where a student might dive into more struc- tured research surrounding their area of interest. “That pathway— when a Practicum becomes part of Signature—is really interesting to me,” she adds, with a nod to her role as a Signature Project Manager. As a part of that program, she guides students through a one- or two-year-long academic exploration of their interest, often resulting in some kind of tangible culmination of their work.

The activities don’t end there. With a hand in many aspects of campus life, this past year Bridget added crew coach to her list of titles and skills. “I am the Ted Lasso of crew! I didn’t row as a teenager, but I’m an EMT and I used to run canoeing trips for the Girl Scouts, so I’m not afraid to take kids on the water.” As a confident beginner herself, it seemed important that she get familiar with the ins and outs of the boat. Coach Bob Tarrant took her out on the water and helped her drive the launch, and also brought Bridget to ride along while he coached adult crew teams.

Bridget’s love of learning a new skill, especially in the service of community, is apparent; her interest in everything is coupled with an infectious curiosity and willingness to try, something Emma Willard School encourages in students as well. “Kids are so afraid to make a mistake, especially a public mistake,” says Bridget. “I think it’s really important to model not only a bend towards lifelong learning [for the students], but that we’re in this together.”

Dedicating the time to crew also meant she has been able to see and participate in the Emma Willard Community in a new way: the after-school hours mean you’ll often find her at dinner in Kellas Dining Hall—something that doesn’t happen often for community members who don’t live on campus, but helps to build strong ties with the community.

Recently, Bridget completed a master of education at the Klingenstein Center for Independent School Leadership. Part of a lifelong career goal, it was on her second application that she got into the cohort (a detail she noted gives her a uniquely common experience with current students in the throes of college application stress, and a reminder that you can always try again). Bridget is now using the work she embarked on in the program to further cultivate her role at Emma.

“It really has helped me to recognize that I’m a natural firefighter: if you roll through my door I will 100% drop everything and help you, but being able to look at the situation and figure out why that fire started is helpful.”

Coupling that skill with the ability to develop good relationships has given her confidence in her own leadership acumen.

That leadership doesn’t end, or begin, at the grey walls of Emma Willard School. Throughout the Capital Region, Bridget has been a leading proponent for change and transformation. Bridget is a cofounder of the Tech Valley Center of Gravity, an area nonprofit that just celebrated its ten-year anniversary. They provide low-cost access to equipment, tools, technology, and space, as well as business expertise, education, and resources. Stemming from a belief that collaboration breeds creative solutions, the center is about being and creating with other people to try things out.

Bridget also served as the president of the Board of Directors for the YWCA of the Greater Capital Region (though currently not the president, she is still on the board) after Emma Willard alum Beth Walsh ’81 recommended she get involved. Bridget was teaching at a co-ed school, and was missing the aspect of empowering women and girls that all-girls institutions cultivate. The encouragement from a figure in the community she admired was affirming. “I mean, empowering women and eliminating racism?

That’s perfect,” she says.

“There is a feeling in places that serve women and girls, and other folks of marginalized gender identities,” she says, attempting to encapsulate in words the impression one feels being in a community that centers on women’s empowerment. She wanted to get back to that feeling through several paths, one leading to Emma Willard School.

SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE.

The early bird catches the worm. Good things come to those who wait. These are just some of the contradictory adages we hear about how to approach life. When it comes to applying for college, it can be just as confusing.

Those of us who applied to college prior to 2000 may not remember all the necessary details required to complete a college application. There are SATs, ACTs, essays, writing supplements, interviews, school visits, and more. The process, with all of its components, can take up to two years. It is a rigorous and lengthy application process, arguably far more time-consuming and demanding than obtaining a full-time job. Getting into college can also be one of the most stressful rites of passage in life. Because of this, it requires committed college counselors who can inform and support their students. It calls for caring and empathetic people who can articulate both the pleasures and the pitfalls of the application process. Perhaps most importantly, it needs mentors who remind students that a college rejection—or acceptance, for that change who they are at their core.

The members of the College Counseling team at Emma Willard School—Dr. Ashley L. Bennett, Abbey Massoud-Tastor, Xavier McKinzie, Elizabeth Ashline, and Anna Navarro—are so much more than college counselors to their students.

“I’m constantly telling them, you are enough,” says Abbey MassoudTastor, known to her students as “Miss M-T.”

“She’s not just my college counselor, she’s my friend,” says Stella L. ’23 of Abbey.

Originally from Beijing, China, Stella met Miss M-T at the start of her ninth grade year. They developed a trust and friendship that lasted throughout the pandemic and well into her senior year when Stella learned she’d been accepted early to Yale. “Miss M-T and Dr. Bennett celebrated with me, but they also reminded me that I was already amazing before the acceptance.”

During the fall of 2020, Emma Willard transitioned from Advanced Placement™ (AP) courses to their own Advanced Studies program. While she was initially concerned she wouldn’t be as prepared for the AP exams, Stella soon discovered that her Advanced Studies courses allowed for more creativity within the classroom. It also decreased stress among the students because there was less pressure to cram for the exam.

Supported by the findings in a June 2021 report by The Center for American Progress called “Closing Advanced Coursework Equity Gaps for All Students,” Emma’s move from AP Courses to its own Advanced Studies curriculum helps close the equity gap for Black, Indigenous, and

People of Color (BIPOC) students. National data revealed that fewer BIPOC students were enrolled in AP courses than their white and Asian peers and experienced less success in passing the AP test even when they were enrolled.

Making the college application process more equitable was just one of Dr. Ashley Bennett’s priorities when she was hired as Emma Willard’s Director of College Counseling in June 2021. Dr. Bennett, who has a doctorate in ethical leadership from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas, wanted to address, and find solutions for, the disparity between students from mid-to-high socioeconomic backgrounds and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds. In the 2022–23 school year, students attending Emma Willard come from 36 countries, and 43% of the student body receives financial assistance. To help alleviate some of the financial stress for students and their families, the College Counseling team—in collaboration with the Advancement team and the Business Office—secured $1,000 debit cards for 19 Emma Willard students.

“We asked ourselves, ‘How can we make [the college application process] a barrier-free approach?’”

In Dr. Bennett’s College Counseling “Fall 2022 Update” newsletter to parents and guardians, she explains that the 19 students were selected based on financial need and that these funds may be used in addition to the Common App and SAT/ACT fee waivers. “The generosity of our donors helped remove financial barriers for these students and we are grateful,” writes Dr. Bennett. She is also hopeful that the school may offer

Education Opportunity Program (HEOP)—a scholarship program that serves economically disadvantaged students from New York State. He was admitted to Union College through the HEOP program and says he suffered imposter syndrome when he learned he was one of only 30 scholarship recipients, selected from a pool of 600 applicants. This lifechanging experience informed Xavier’s decision to work with students yearround, and be the same kind of role model that his college counselor was for him. His personal experience also gave him the tools to empathize with students and help them create their own individual pathway to success.

“I want them to know that, even on their worst day, I understand and I’m here to support them.” acceptance to these schools as proof that they’re worth something.” this opportunity to even more students down the road.

“COLLEGE DIDN’T SEEM LIKE

a viable option for me, so I thought about becoming a police officer or a firefighter,” says Associate Director of College Counseling Xavier McKinzie, who joined Emma Willard in the summer of 2022. Xavier, a native of the Bronx, attended a high school where students had to pass through metal detectors on their way to class.

Senior class morale and motivation were low, but it was Xavier’s college counselor who challenged him to think differently about his future.

“She heard me, but thankfully she didn’t listen to me,” Xavier jokes. With her help and encouragement, Xavier applied for the Higher

According to Jeffrey Selingo, author of “The College-Admissions Process Is Completely Broken” (The Atlantic, March 2022), the application process can be an “enormous burden.”

It’s now the norm for students to apply to as many as 15–20 colleges during their senior year. Students’ applications to college have increased more than 150% over the past 20 years. Even in the days of holistic admissions—a strategy to assess a student by more than just their test scores—students may still come up against colleges’ institutional priorities (IP), quantifiable strategies to meet the demands of a school’s specific demographic needs. IPs may impact a student’s chances of getting admitted to their top choice because of factors that have very little to do with their grades, extracurriculars, or test scores.

“The greatest challenge,” says Xavier, “is when students focus only on the highly-rejective colleges and view

The Emma Willard School College Counseling website features Frank Sachs’ quote, “College is a match to be made, not a prize to be won.” This mantra reminds students and their parents that an acceptance to, or rejection from, a particular college or university does not determine the outcome of their lives. Nor should it be an indication of their success or failure as a human being. Yes, a college acceptance is definitely worth celebrating—it is, after all, one of life’s greatest rites of passage—however, the College Counseling team wants their students to know that it’s really all about understanding how to accept the highs and lows of life. Says student Mairi C. ’23, “They emphasize that this is just one part of your life.” also utilized the Timeline By Grade Level on the College Counseling webpage, which breaks down the process, grade-by-grade. She found it to be especially helpful, and was relieved to know ahead of time what to expect and how to prepare for the journey ahead.

Linda’s daughter, Dara, sought schools that offered studies in biomedical engineering and Chinese, which narrowed Dara’s pool of schools down to a more focused funnel. Even after doing extensive research on “out-of-the-box” colleges and universities, Linda says she was impressed by the fact that Abbey was able to answer every single one of her questions. “The College Counseling team does a fantastic job of finding unique schools to fit your child.”

Jane Attah P’23 agrees. “I didn’t know that college counseling was such a big part of the Emma Willard process. It gave me peace of mind.” studying studio art and women’s and gender studies in college, learned how to be proactive and advocate for herself. When questions related to her college essays arose, Gabby emailed Dr. Bennett and asked her for feedback. Dr. Bennett’s guidance helped Gabby fine-tune her voice and her purpose.

LINDA I’ANSON P’23 describes Emma Willard’s College Counseling Department as a “boutique experience.” She participated in nearly every Zoom call and seminar offered by the team, including one led by Emma Willard’s consultant and financial planner, Paul Martin, whose College Money Method website offers free FAFSA videos and other resources for families. Linda

Like Linda, Jane participated in College Counseling’s online webinars, attended open houses, and read Dr. Bennett’s newsletters informing parents and guardians of updates.

“The team centers the health and wellbeing of the students above all else,” says Jane. This helps students like her daughter, Gabby P. ’23, maintain their focus (and perspective) throughout the process. Jane says that Gabby, who is interested in

By implementing more equitable approaches to the college application process, and guiding students along the way, the Emma Willard College Counseling team is truly changing lives. They are not just the students’ counselors, they are also their trusted confidantes, friends, and the people with whom they can be silly and vulnerable. They remind students of their worth, their talents, and their intelligence—embodying what Jeffrey Selingo of The Atlantic proposes is essential: to create “a more meaningful experience” for students so that, when it’s over, they remember the love and support more than the stress and anxiety.

“We help our students unlock the parts of themselves they didn’t know exist,” says Abbey. “It is an honor and pleasure to help them navigate this part of their journey in life.”