May is Mental Health Awareness Week (UK)/Month (US)
Transitions are a time of tremendous emotion and anticipation of what is to come. Change is a part of life, and if handled in a healthy way, can lead to wonderful new beginnings with treasured memories to reflect on over time. As our D2s prepare to leave our campus, and begin their next journey, I thought it was a good time to review the process of “leaving well” and the key concepts to focus on to maintain mental health and well being through the changes life brings.
Building a R.A.F.T. is a concept that was introduced in 2017 in acknowledgement of the challenges that Third Culture Kids (TCKs) face when they have to leave home and create a new life in a place that is foreign to them for a variety of reasons. There are four steps that one must carefully go through to build a proper R.A.F.T. in order to properly end one journey and be ready to embrace the next. Here are the four components of R.A.F.T. building:
R – “Reconciliation includes the need to both forgive and be forgiven”
A – “[Affirmation] not only solidifies our relationships for future contact, but in expressing what they have meant to us, we are reminded of what we have gained from living in this place”
F – Farewells. Knowing it’s the last time they will see someone or something and saying an intentional goodbye can assist with closure.
T – Think Destination. Young people (and adults) can be prompted to share their hopes, fears, thoughts, and feelings about their next home.
(Based on R.A.F.T. Model-Pollock et al., 2017 & ISCA article by S Tempel April 2023 )
I encourage each of you who are preparing for a life transition to think about how building a R.A.F.T. may be beneficial in your life. If you would like more information on this topic, please see the link below.
Tips for transitioning with young people: docs.google.com/document/d/1iSFmotbKaeUZRLIedd4v5zmS_OTh7pbuBAGIAzlfJgM/edit
In addition, May is the time to better understand your mental health and build awareness of the mental health concerns of others you engage with. I invite everyone to spend some time focusing on being more in tune with your emotional state, especially during this time of change for many, and empathetic to what others may be going through around you. Resources can be found on the link below to help you in this important work:
https://www.nami.org/Get-Involved/Awareness-Events/Mental-Health-Awareness-Month
As one group leaves another gears up for their final year
Thank you to those of you who attended the virtual events this week. We hope you found them to be beneficial as you prepare for the upcoming international admissions cycle. If you missed the Clark University/WPI presentation about “Financing Your US Education,” or the University of Edinburgh presentation about their institution and “Studying in the UK,” please email me and I can send you the resources from either/both. The presentations will also be added to the UWCEA Careers website soon, so students will have access once they are uploaded in the “Past Presentations” section and can share with their families from the website.
Our next major virtual event is the D1 Parent Presentation Part II: Application Systems from Around the World. See the details below as you plan to join us for this informative event. Since we will be covering a lot of information in a short period of time, we ask that you submit country specific questions in advance.
When: Wednesday, 24 May @ 7:30-9:00 PM EAT
Where: Zoom link to join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4095574237
Meeting ID: 409 557 4237
If you have any country specific questions, please email Counselor_arusha@uwcea.org so that we can prepare answers in advance.
Stay tuned for more events coming your way…
15 May: 15 on the 15th – 15 Liberal Arts Colleges Present a topic and then a virtual fair 4:45-6:00PM EAT May 2023 – The Role of Standardized Testing and English Language Proficiency Exams
Link to register: https://connect.cmc.edu/register/15onthe15th
16 May: Arusha campus – Application support drop in sessions: UK UCAS 7:30-8:15 PM and US Common App 8:15-9:00 PM EAT in Matemu Mezzanine
17 May: UCAS Hub: A Day of Live Questions and Answers 12-5 PM EAT – Virtual opportunity to ask any questions you have about applying to the UK
Link to more information and to submit questions in advance: https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/what-and-where-study/ucas-hub-live
19 May: Deadline to register for 3 June SAT (in Moshi) www.uwcea.org/tests
23 May: 7:30 PM IN PERSON Arusha Campus (Performance Area) Pomona College, Swarthmore College, and Williams College (Three Davis UWC Partner Institutions. Topic: Highly selective liberal arts colleges and essay writing)
24 May: 7:30-9:30 PM EAT Part II: D1 Parent/Guardian Presentation: Preparing for the Global College Application Process – virtual (please see Zoom link above)
3 June: 7:30-11:00 AM EAT SAT in Moshi
9 June: AM Arusha and PM Moshi Time: TBD Amherst College in person visit
15 June: 15 on the 15th – 15 Liberal Arts Colleges Present a topic and then a virtual fair 4:45-6:ooPM EAT June 2023 – Essay Writing: Make an Impact
Link to register: https://connect.cmc.edu/register/15onthe15th
*Please note that 13 of the 15 Colleges are Davis UWC Scholar Partner Institutions!*
Enjoy the journey that life has in store for you,
Cassandra Ford
College and Career Counselor
cassandraford@uwcea.org
