One of the biggest investments families make is the money they spend on college. Here are nine things college students should do during their school years to help ensure the best return on that investment.
Many parents and students wading through college applications this fall are experiencing sticker shock. Couple that with 44 million Americans owing $1.5 trillion in student loan debt and anyone can see why there are growing concerns about the cost and value of a college education.
But there is consistent and compelling evidence that earning a college degree still remains the best path to improve one’s job prospects. It’s a fact that college graduates earn on average 84% more over their lifetimes than high school graduates.
The question is not whether college is worth it but rather, how do students get the most from their investment, especially with an eye toward building a post-college career?
I believe families need a road map. Let me offer nine essentials for maximizing the return on your tuition dollars:
1. Embrace academic courses.
Whether studying Shakespeare or statistics (or hopefully both), academic work must be the centerpiece of any student’s college experience. It may seem like simple advice, but far too many students take the path of least resistance and/or take classes in one narrow corner of the college. This is the time to be rigorous. Sign up for a wide range of challenging classes and take advantage of being fully engaged in each of them. Find joy and power in the books you read, the classes you attend and the papers you write. This should be priority one.
2. Choose co-curricular activities wisely.
Co-curricular activities, like student organizations, student government, campus newspapers, athletics and arts organizations, offer fun and learning, but students tend to get overly involved or not involved at all. Get involved in something you are already interested in, and stretch yourself by pursuing a new interest. Remember, learning comes to those who value depth, commitment and excellence — not just keeping busy.
3. Make room for cultural and intellectual events.
Lectures, plays, concerts, art openings and panel conversations are just a few of the extraordinary events that fill college campuses. Too many students don’t take advantage of the range of cultural and intellectual events to expand their minds, imagination and world views. In particular, attend events that will challenge your existing opinions and tastes. This will prepare you to excel in the world of work as well.
College should help you develop ideas for the kind of life you want to live, give you an understanding of how careers allow people to build lives and help you acquire the skills, values, habits, networks and experiences to successfully get started post-graduation. Use three of the suggestions above — courses, co-curricular activities, and campus events — to examine unfamiliar topics and identify your interests and passions. Also, visit your career service center early (don’t wait until late in your senior year) and get to know some alumni. They are the ones that may give you jobs later. Seek out internships and other career-related programs. Study abroad for a semester. All of this is critical in the era of globalization.
5. Develop a wide set of friendships.
College campuses represent one of the few places in the country where people are living across class, race, ethnic backgrounds, political ideology and religious views. Proactively seek out friendships across differences. Learning to read cultures and/or work in diverse teams is a 21st century skill across the professions. In class, if someone expresses a view that makes you uncomfortable, ask them out for coffee. Your ability to learn from those who see the world differently and/or resolve conflicts will serve you well in your work life. You’ll be surprised by what may unfold.
6. Take advantage of mentors.
A close relationship with a faculty or staff member is one of the strongest predictors that college will be life-transforming for a student. Find faculty and staff who will provoke and inspire you on a path of personal growth, learning and self-discovery. Don’t view them simply as taskmasters. Connect with those who push your potential. Their recommendations could make the difference early in your career.
7. Cultivate good life habits.
Start with sleep, nutrition and exercise. Then work to build additional habits that will allow you to thrive in college and beyond. Reduce time on social media and spend more face-to-face time with friends. Consider learning some mindfulness techniques, like yoga, meditation and journaling. Many colleges offer classes and students are using apps like Calm, 10% Happier and Headspace. Figure out what keeps you healthy. College is a place to learn the habits to manage and thrive in a busy, competitive and challenging world. And it will make you a more valuable and productive employee or entrepreneur.
8. Learn to fail forward.
Your college experience will have struggles and stumbles. When things don’t go well, it may be easy to believe that everybody else is succeeding while you are not. It’s not true. College is about growing as a person. Failing is a normal, healthy and positive part of growth. Effectively dealing with failure will help prepare you for the inevitable ups and downs of a career. Find faculty, staff members and peers who can help you learn from the experiences. Most of all, try again.
9. Get your hands on tools of the trade.
Lastly, become an expert in the tools of the trade. They will enhance your résumé. If you want to go into finance, learn to work on a Bloomberg Terminal. If you want to go into the health sciences, develop lab skills. Seek out opportunities to learn database design and other industry standard software. Everybody should learn Excel.
Employers tell us that they want well-rounded prospects to hire, people who have demonstrated rigor, have broad experiences and solid coping skills. Parents are constantly told to relax the reins when it comes to college. But you watch and tend to your other investments. Why stop now?
With encouragement and attention to this road map, your college investment will pay the dividends you expect — and deserve.
Adam Weinberg is the 20th president of Denison University. He previously served as president and CEO of World Learning, one of the premier international education, exchange and development organizations, and as vice president and dean of the college at Colgate University, where he was a member of the sociology department for more than a decade.
Mark Thomas Laflamme, age 54, passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones on Thursday, October 24, 2019, in his home in Palo Alto. He was born on December 30, 1964, in Summit, New Jersey to Joseph Marcel Louis and Mary Ann (Blythe) Laflamme. He married his love, Bonnie Um, in 2008.
Mark spent most of his early life in Saudi Arabia, where his father worked in the energy industry. For high school, he attended Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts. He then graduated from Tulane University in New Orleans. Mark developed an appreciation for myriad cultures and had a wonderful ability to get along with others. After college, he worked in investment management at two storied firms – Moore Capital Management and Caxton Associates. He was hired by Ziff Brothers Investments to start up their operations in Hong Kong and then moved to Palo Alto, California where he and some colleagues started Crescent Park Management. Mark had a reputation for expertise in a wide range of investing fields and was known for his kind and friendly demeanor.
Mark brought a quiet determination to everything he did. While gaining increasing responsibilities in complex roles in finance, he found time to run ultramarathons, travel extensively, and raise a family.
Mark will forever be remembered by his wife and best friend, Bonnie, and their precious son, Hunter, by his mother, Mary Ann, and brother, Matthew, and by Bonnie's parents, Jun and Chung Um, and sister and brother-in-law, Margaret and Andre Clark.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated in memory of Mark on Saturday, November 2, 2019 at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of the Rosary Church, 3233 Cowper Street, Palo Alto. A Rosary will be held at 9:30 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, you may make contributions to the UCSF Cancer Center in Mark’s memory. Please direct your donation to the Gastrointestinal Cancer program: https://campaign.ucsf.edu/opportunities/cancer
Ed Note: Mark shared his health struggle with your editor in September of 2016 and always meant to tell the class, I think. I encouraged him to write a post but it just never happened.
Let's not forget some of our W MA residents! Pics from Facebook - looks like Beaubien ran a race and Nate Nourse made friends with a Minuteman at a UMass hockey game...
Denison President Adam Weinberg clearly thinks about the role of education in the world. Here's his interesting take on how a "shareholder" focus in business is morphing into a "stakeholder" focus and what that means for colleges and universities. Well done Adam!
New Denison University parent Doug Cruikshank watched the induction ceremony from home but sent along this snippet of classmate and Denison President, Dr. Adam Weinberg, doing his thing! The blog is aware of another classmate who has a child at Denison (also a new freshperson) but is awaiting visual evidence...
Family pediatrician of 25+ years, Andrew Nash (aka "Drew" or "Elmo" back in the day), has started a podcast, aptly named The Owner's Manual! Besides being great to hear his smooth tones, he knows his stuff! Check it out at https://theownersmanual.podbean.com/
Times of stress and doubt are often reversed with the actions of a helper. Even Mr. Rogers knew that.
35 years ago, the 19-year-old boy at the far left in the first photo was stopped on suspicion of DWI at 1:30 on a Tuesday afternoon in Dallas. That seminal event proved to be a springboard towards an entirely different chapter of life that has spanned 34+ years of evolving recovery and a measure of maturation ... I’m pleased to announce that I have recently launched a private coaching/mentoring practice, building upon the work I’ve been doing with individuals referred to me by client schools like Deerfield, Mercersburg and others.
The man in the bottom photo will be pleased to leverage his accumulated training and related life experience to help adolescents and adults access innate sources of wisdom and help guide them into more placid waters. Particular expertise in abuse and addiction recovery, self-esteem/self-worth issues and issues related to the boarding-school experience. Referrals appreciated and welcomed. For more info, contact me at 804-402-0050 or whit.sheppard@comcast.net
John Knight reports he has finally rejoined the workforce as Alumni Engagement Coordinator for the University of Denver's Daniels College of Business. He's psyched to be back on a campus and happy to be working on engaging more alumni of the Rocky Mountains' leading biz school.
Congratulations to Jeff Spadafora for the early success of his new venture: The Way. (https://www.theway2life.org/). Jeff is delivering individual and group coaching and male bonding in Christian fellowship in Colorado. Delivering purpose and joy, one soul at a time...
Meet Jeff Spadafora, founder of The Way
“The Way is not a program or an ‘academy.’ It’s a multitude of small groups of men doing life together, battling for one another, cherishing one another’s dreams, and making a mark in the world for the Glory of God.”
— JEFF SPADAFORA
Jeff Spadafora is a former management consultant and leadership development expert for Fortune 1000 companies. In 2005, God led him to repurpose his time, talent and treasure toward helping successful people in mid-life transition discover and engage in their second half calling. He did this as a part of the leadership team at the Halftime Institute where he was the Director of Life Purpose Curricula that was used by thousands of people. He was also Director of Global Coaching Services and trained 41 Halftime Institute-certified coaches in 6 countries.
As a result of training Halftime coaches, directly coaching 100’s of successful Christians one-on-one, and speaking and facilitating workshops globally, he wrote The Joy Modelto provide a blueprint for people to live with peace, purpose, courage, character and freedom.
In 2018, on an extended sabbatical along the Mediterranean coast of Spain, the Holy Spirit guided Jeff back to the fundamentals of discipleship. To double-down on being a life-on-life disciple maker and not an organization builder. To help men break through any and all barriers preventing them to live and love like Christ. To grow in this direction with others, locally, over time.
If you're ready to take the next step in your personal, professional and faith life, then join one of The Way small group communities and let the adventure begin.
An impressive effort by Jim Wareck (from LA) and Brian Steward (from San Antonio) to chaperone Brian's daughter Grace at her latest visit to the San Diego Zoo!!! Well done! (Mom Hannah was always nearby, of course...)
Whit Sheppard is getting in his miles on the Vineyard this summer (near W. Tisbury) until mid-September and welcomes outreach from any classmates nearby. On island phone is 508-693-0579. There's scenery and a furry companion as well!
"The results are in: We’re thrilled to report that thanks to the generosity of nearly 4,500 donors, Deerfield reached 45.1% alumni participation overall, the highest among our peer schools for the third time in the last four years!
Thank you for your part in this meaningful achievement. We’re fortunate to have so many dedicated alumni in our community, who truly “bleed green.” An alumnus suggested that it’s Deerfield’s continued commitment to sit-down meals that makes the difference in our participation—and that’s just one of the traditions that keep us strong.
Your class finished at 46% participation, a great result for a non-reunion year. Congrats!" From Doug and JK: Thanks so much to the 58 classmates who made the time to make a gift to DA and to join this stellar effort. We added some new donors this year and we're grateful for your vote of support for our work and for the Deerfield Experience! Keep in touch!!!
(Pilfered from FB) Happy birthday American ingenuity.
A little-remembered fact is the astronauts landed July 20th but stepped out onto the lunar surface on the 21st. And the Soviets were literally a few steps behind us in a robotic mission. And NASA’s triumph had more to do with trust, perseverance and grit than with the technology behind the Apollo missions.
Have you ever gotten into a new project and realized your initial assumptions about the effort were incorrect? That it would be harder than you thought? Or, seemingly impossible? This has been a pattern in my own life. Watching Man land on the moon at age four set a pattern in my life, to reach for long-shot goals. Like trying to save the planet from irreversible environmental change and severe weather disasters. I found motivation by getting into technical challenges far over my head, and then fighting my way out of the proverbial maze.
Over the past decade I and my team have had the privilege to work with NASA-funded scientists on the DC8 research aircraft. We explored ocean storms and compared our in-situ XDD dropsondes against new ‘brassboard’ hardware prototypes. These payloads Doppler and Differential Absorption lidar and microwave passive remote sensors that NASA will hopefully soon fly aboard advanced weather satellites.
What I did not anticipate was two items: First, how NASA’s corporate culture demands ever-higher levels of performance. And second, I was competing against non-profit academic institutions that did not need a profit to fund their continued technical progress.
This past April I flew the equivalent of a couple times around the earth with a near-perfect 94% record of XDD soundings. And we successfully underflew a new European Space Agency satellite ‘Aeolus’ several times. Aeolus, flying above us at over ten times our flight speed, had a Doppler wind lidar. This allowed NASA to inter-compare the onboard DAWN wind lidar and in-situ XDD dropsonde wind measurements taken from the DC8.
But it was not enough. This year, NASA raised the performance bar even higher. Although six out of our seven measured parameters we were at, or better than state-of-the-art, one measurement was too slow: relative humidity. Our horizontal and vertical wind speed and direction, pressure, temperature and sea surface temperature were unmatched. But another new space remote sensing hardware brassboard prototype called HALO was flying on the DC8. HALO uses a differential resorption light technique to measure vertical profiles of relative humidity. And our XDD’s polymer relative humidity disposable sensor, which has a limited response time, was now competing with a speed of light molecular interaction with water vapor. And guess which method was better?
It did not seem fair that NASA might decide to not use (i.e. purchase) our American-made XDD dropsondes in the future, despite the fact that we had overcome so many other technical obstacles to get to where we are now. It seems to never be enough.
And then I remembered the moon shot. How Neil Armstrong had only a few seconds left of fuel to slow their descent onto the lunar surface. About how unsure NASA was of the rigidity and stability of the lunar surface. About how the powdered lunar soil stuck to everything, including the windows and the astronauts’ nasal cavities after they removed their helmets. They just dealt with it. They carried on, and that led to success. True grit, that.
Life goes on and the sun will rise tomorrow, no matter what we do or what we say. I think it’s time we focus as a society on progress and carry on as a country in a civil fashion. And stopped fighting each other. Instead, let’s go back to the moon. And this time, let’s build a campsite and stay for a while.
Until June 30, Karen and Rob Hale '84 P'15,'17,'18 will donate $1,000 for every new Annual Fund gift. The Hales' offer applies to anyone—alumni, parents, friends—who has yet to make a gift this school year. One thousand bucks regardless of gift size. Which means, of course, that if you give $10, $25, $100, etc. you're really giving more than $1,000 in support of Deerfield students.
And the Hales just sweetened the deal...
If 616 new donors make a gift by midnight on June 30, Rob and Karen will give an addition $1 million to Deerfield—that's on top of the $1,000 for each gift!
The Hales just sweetened the deal. If 1,000 new donors make a gift between now and June 30, Deerfield will receive an additional $1 million! That's on top of the $1,000 the Hales have committed to donating for each new gift. deerfield.edu/grand
The Class of 1983 only needs 18 donors to hit 50% participation. Please give $5 if you can.
Great to see some of the LA fellas working hard to stay connected! They dined at Dear John's, a Rat Pack era eatery that Frank Sinatra himself would have loved...
Adam Feiges blew through Denver briefly after delivering his daughter to a month of Chemistry classes at CU Boulder. Dinner on Larimer Street was followed by a drink at a nearby speakeasy (literally) the Green Russell. It's a funky underground space that acts like a prohibition era joint that makes its own ginger beer and drink syrups. JK let the bartender make him a beverage with the homemade ginger beer, which also came with a burning cinnamon stick. JK has offered to take anybody else blowing through town there as well! (PS. Please give to the DA Annual Fund this month - it gets matched with $1,000 from Karen and Ron Hale '84. Give Here.)
After JK had lunch with David Ho in Hong Kong, he toured Xi'an, Beijing and Shanghai. His favorite moment was overlapping with his daughter's simultaneous viewing of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. The parents and the kids were on separate group schedules - hooray!
JK reminds you that Deerfield's GRAND Challenge will boost your gift this month by a thousand bucks, so take a minute to give! Use this LINK.
We are aiming for 50% participation again in the Annual Fund and we are just over halfway there. We will need 30 classmates to step up this month with a gift of any amount. Please consider it.
To make your decision easier, Rob Hale '84 and his wife Karen, will match your gift with $1,000 of their own! (Get it? G-R-A-N-D Challenge!)
John Knight formalized his first ever visit to Hong Kong the way you might expect...over lunch with David Ho!
David continues to lead Macy's Candies, which has also expanded into fresh salads, sandwiches and sushi for local grocers and even school lunches! Much better than Siler's Food service I expect!!!
Thanks so much to Chris Lynch for this find. Maybe related to 1983 Pocumtuck yearbook? Class Officers? Look in the shoeboxes in the back of your closets gentlemen!!!
LtoR: Bruce Gregory, Jeff Spadafora, Adam Weinberg, Nelse Clark
While it's true that I'm a zealous promoter of most thing Deerfield, clearly the writings of our classmate and Denison University President Adam Weinberg stand on their own. Read Adam's annual writing on the college admission process and choosing the right college HERE and pasted below:
"It’s spring, which means that lots of high school seniors and families are making their final college decisions. The college admission process can be daunting. Each year,as a college president(and a parent who has been through it twice), I share some ideas about how parents and families can help with the final college selection.
Here is the good news. Your student can get a great education at a wide range of colleges.
What matters most is the fit. It’s hard to get a great education if the fit is not right, and figuring out the fit can be confusing. But I also think it can be remarkably easy, if you ask the right questions.
Elsewhere, I have written on what we know about what defines a great college experience. I continue to recommend reading How College Works by Dan Chambliss and Christopher Takacs, about what they learned in 10 years following 100 students through a liberal arts college.
The longer that I am a college president, the more I am convinced that three things need to happen for college to have a lasting, positive impact on students’ lives.
Mentorship is one of the defining characteristics of a transformative college experience. Students need to seek out and find mentors, and they need to be at a college where mentorship is likely to happen. It’s worth reading the recent Strada-Gallup Alumni Survey, which asked more than 500,000 Americans to share their education experiences.
Engagement matters. College is not a passive process. Students need to be academically engaged, and they also need to be active in a few activities outside the classroom where they will learn good leadership and management skills.
Lateral learning is the other crucial factor. Students learn a lot from each other. They need to be at a college where they will be surrounded by peers from whom they will learn and peers who will bring out the best in them.
My advice to parents is to help your child find a college where they are likely to quickly “feel at home,” become academically engaged, develop a close mentoring relationship with faculty and other staff, and get involved in co-curricular activities where they will find good friends and develop strong life skills.
Over the next few weeks, I would encourage you to do the following:
First, narrow down the final list to two to four colleges. This requires having an open and honest conversation with your student about what college means for them. What do they want to study? What size feels right?
As you have this conversation, make sure you select colleges where they can pursue their interests. If your student plays a sport or has a passion for an artistic endeavor, choose a college where they will make the team, be cast in a play, join a music ensemble. They should have a broad range of opportunities to pursue their interests.
This also is true for students who want to major in the sciences. Select a college where you can get into labs early and often, and ask about opportunities for undergraduates to do research with faculty.
And fit also requires being honest with what is affordable. One of the mistakes families make is selecting a college because of very small differences in price. It does not make sense to go to a college that is slightly less expensive if the fit is not right. At the same time, debt does matter. My own view is that a manageable level of debt is worth it to get an education that is the right fit for the student. Families need to determine what that level is for them.
Second, take advantage of April Visit Days. Attend one of the April Visit Days that colleges offer for admitted students. Encourage your student to spend the night. When you leave the campus, ask them questions, as opposed to offering your observations. I am convinced that these opportunities to make a gut check often lead students to make the right decision.
Third, ask questions. Here are some questions to ask during April Visit Days that are important, but not often thought of: What is the size of the endowment per student (which can translate into the financial resources a college can spend on providing student experiences)? What is the mood on campus? You want to be someplace where faculty, staff and students are proud of the college. Ask about the first-year program and how it helps students transition into college.
Fourth, pay attention to the location. I believe there is an advantage to being in a location that has a healthy community surrounding the college and easy access to an airport and city. And I will admit that my opinion is biased, given that Denison has a great location. We have a beautiful campus in an idyllic village that is part of the Columbus metropolitan region, a vibrant city filled with music, culture and global businesses.
Last, enjoy the process. Traveling with your student to make those final college visits can be stressful or fun. Choose to make it fun. Encourage them to take a moment on each campus to stop, take in the campus environment, and to feel proud of themselves. They have worked hard to get accepted to some great colleges. Now the colleges are recruiting them. They deserve a moment to savor the experience, and to be excited about the future. Appreciate the opportunity to talk to them about what they want in and from a college. Choosing the right college is a chance to have some quality time and conversations with your student.
Once you select a college, make sure the conversation continues. We expend way too much energy worrying about getting in and selecting the right college, and not nearly enough energy focusing on how to transition into college and how to take full advantage of the college experience.
College will push your student and challenge them in all sorts of ways. It is a time that can and should be rich with joy and discovery. Talking to your student as their college career unfolds can help them understand what they are learning and how it fits together. Have those conversations to help them explore the value of their experience."
Dr. Adam Weinberg joined Denison University as its 20th president on July 1, 2013. He previously served as president and CEO of World Learning, one of the premier international education, exchange and development organizations. World Learning works with young people from more than 140 countries, helping them develop the ability to address critical global issues.
Previously, he was vice president and dean of the college at Colgate University, where he was a member of the sociology department for more than a decade. A native of Texas, Dr. Weinberg’s passion for ice hockey took him to New England, where he attended Deerfield Academy and Bowdoin College, graduating magna cum laude. He studied at Cambridge University before earning his master’s and doctoral degrees in sociology from Northwestern University. Dr. Weinberg resides at Denison, with his wife, Anne, their three children and a new puppy. (Source: Denison University website.)
By some magic coincidence, Whit Sheppard and daughter Emily, while vacationing in Australia, bumped into Margarita (and Manning) Curtis! Looks like fun was had by all.
The results from Deerfield’s Day of Giving are in:
"Overall, we’re thrilled to report that Deerfield received a total of $537,656 from 1,119 donors, surpassing last year’s record of $403,000 from 1,057 donors. And of these new totals, the Great Class of 1983 contributed $5,210 from 17 donors, the second highest of any of the ’80s classes! (In first was the Class of ’80 with a whopping 55 donors—they had the most of any class that day—and in third was the class of ’87 with 14 donors.)
Congratulations, and thank you for your help and support."
Many thanks to those of you who gave during the "day".
JK reminds you that Deerfield's GRAND Challenge will boost your gift this month by a thousand bucks, so take a minute to give! Use this LINK.
LtoR: Bruce Gregory, Jeff Spadafora, Adam Weinberg, Nelse Clark
