I want to extend a warm welcome back to our students and parents! I will be posting a monthly blog post on a variety of topics related to the college application process. I hope that you’ll find it to be informative and helpful.

This month, I want to share with you about an exciting addition to the college counseling office!

Building on our vision to develop a comprehensive four-year college counseling program, Mrs. Debbie Abrahamsen will be the new 9th and 10th grade guidance counselor. In her new role, she will work closely with freshmen and sophomores in order to ensure that they receive strong academic counseling and guidance. Students will receive a strong foundation to build upon as they move toward their junior and senior year, where there will be more focus on the college application process.

Mrs. Abrahamsen will work with students on the following four areas:

• academic counseling
• fluency with the Naviance program
• ensuring that students begin and finish their personality and career assessments
• advisement about standardized testing

The work Mrs. Abrahamsen will do with our 9th and 10th grade students will ensure the success of the four-year college counseling program. As students work with her, she will encourage them to know and challenge themselves. The necessity for students to know themselves and the desire to see them reach their potential will inform her academic advising with students. As she gets to know them, she will be able to help students find the right classes that will both engage and help them pursue what they love. She will also work with them to sure that they are taking appropriately challenging courses, not only for the college application process, but to develop their love for learning.

Coupled with academic advising, Mrs. Abrahamsen will continue the work of building fluency with Naviance among our upper school students. Naviance, is a web-based K-12 program that enables students to find their strengths and interest and align them to postsecondary goals, including college choices and career aspirations. Naviance not only assists students in researching colleges and careers, but also in helping students know themselves better. Armed with a battery of assessments that students can take, including a personality assessment, learning style inventory, and strengths finder, Mrs. Abrahamsen will make sure that students take advantage of these tools. As the focus of college counseling becomes more about fit, it is imperative that students in the earlier years of high school understand their strengths, gifts and temperament.

Mrs. Abrahamsen brings with her years of institutional knowledge of the Stony Brook School and a true gift of building relationships with students. With her education, background and experience, she is the perfect person to step into this role.

Recently, I asked her how she felt about stepping into this new position.  Her response:

“My favorite part about working at SBS for the past 11 years has been interacting with the students. As Guidance and College Counselor for the 9th and 10th grade, I am excited to have the opportunity to do that on a more consistent basis. I am looking forward to partnering with the students to help them build a strong foundations for their journey through the college process.”

I’m really looking forward to working with Mrs. Abrahamsen as we collaborate to build the college counseling program here at SBS.

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