About

Hi! My name is Sara Kinsey. I graduated from JTHS in 2012 and currently attend Marist College. I am double major in Psychology and Communications with a concentration in Advertising and a specialty in Management. In high school, I was involved in countless after school activities, such as Each One Reach One, R.E.B.E.L., Teacher’s of Tomorrow, lacrosse, P.D.P., Spanish Honor Society, and many more. I loved that many of these clubs allocated me to reach out and help others. Out of all the clubs, P.D.P. was always my favorite. Being a P.D.P. leader was an incredible experience. It permitted me to learn more about others and myself. It changed my perspective on life.

Upon graduation, I wished that I could remain involved in my high school activities forever, but I knew that high school clubs were just a chapter in my book of life that was coming to an end. When I arrived at college, I continuously reflected on the experiences I had and the lessons that I learned in high school. I kept thinking to myself, why does an incredible program like P.D.P. have to end just because my high school career ended?

            The goal of P.D.P. was to aide the 8^th and 9^th graders during their transition from middle school to high school. However, these students are not the only ones experiencing a transitional period in which it would be beneficial to have a mentor. 12^th graders are transitioning out of high school into their respected new paths. They are creating a new chapter in their book of life. As students graduate, more and more questions arise, but in many cases they have no one to ask. I thought to myself that it would be wonderful for these students to have contacts with alumni that just experienced the things they are about to experience.

Although many colleges provide first year mentors, these are not enough. There is an entire gap from graduation until one reaches college. During this gap, many new questions arise. Several of these questions include… What should I purchase for my dorm? Where should I buy my textbooks? What should I expect? What questions should I ask my roommate? Yes, the Internet is a wonderful tool, but it would be even better to hear the information from someone who just discovered the answers to these various questions. Additionally, not everyone goes to an actual college. Some students choose to take online courses, in which they do not have a mentor to guide them. Others choose to go into the military or straight for the workplace.

Therefore, I decided to create this blog in order to help graduates answer questions. I love being able to help others and provide advice. My goal in life has always been to help as many people as possible, leaving positive footprints on their lives. This is exactly what I am trying to do with this blog. I want to be able to connect alumni with graduates in order to help them on their transition down whatever path they choose. I want to be able to provide answers, advice, and helpful links to all graduates. This blog is for EVERYONE, not just college bound students.

You can email me at jthsalumnistudentconnections@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or concerns. For those of you going away to college this can be incredibly helpful during the summer when you want advice on what to bring to school or what to expect. Additionally, many people feel homesick the first month of school, but are afraid to tell their friends and families. If you want someone to talk to and provide you with advice feel free to email me. I want to help, so feel free to take advantage of the help I am willing to provide. For questions that I cannot answer, I have alumni contacts established to help answer these questions. All questions that will be beneficial for other graduates will be anonymously posted on the blog. This means that I will be the only person who is aware that you asked the question. This can help answer questions that your peers have, but are afraid to ask. Additionally, if your parents have questions or concerns please share this with them. They can send emails as well.

If this is successful, maybe eventually we will be able to actually bring alumni back to talk with seniors first hand, but until then I hope that this blog is able to help you transition down whatever path you choose to take. The more questions asked, the more successful this blog will be so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE ask away!

Lastly, I wanted to thank the alumni that have been helping me answer questions. You’re all amazing people! If you’re an alumni and interested in helping because email the address above!

PLEASE ASK QUESTIONS AND SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THIS BLOG! :)