BRITTANY MASCHAL CONSULTING

The Most Common Graduation Advice Tends to Backfire

By Brittany MaschalMay 24, 2023

Following your passions can be a bad idea.

Sharing a great read as graduation month comes to a close and high school juniors and sophomores kick the college process into a higher gear.

Identifying potential passions means having the confidence to pursue what you truly enjoy or even what you think you might enjoy—sometimes, you have to just go with your gut! It also helps to explore interests in which you have some natural affinity but keep in mind that skills can be developed, it just takes time. Don’t pick an academic interest based on what you think society expects or, worse, what you think your parents want you to pursue.

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Academic Resources, Advice, Career, Career Advice, Extracurriculars, High School, News, NYT, Resume, STEM, Women in STEMacademic interests, academic narrative development, choosing classes in high school, graduation, high school, passion project, STEM, women in STEM

Peer Project Grants

By Brittany MaschalNov 06, 2021

The non-profit My Friend Abbey is awarding grants for peer-to-peer projects. The Fall 2021 grant cycle is now open to youth and young adults! The application deadline is November 15, 2021. The theme for this season is “Share Your Light.”

Here are some suggested ideas for grant projects:

Sharing your talent and teaching someone else your craft! For example, gardening is good for your mental health, so if you garden, buy some bulbs and teach your friends how to plant them and care for the plants. Or if you knit or sew, show a group of friends how to make something for the holidays that they can give as a gift.

You can always find a way to #37HelpOthersInABigWay or highlight the good in others.

You could complete a ‘compassion project’ in which you and/or a group agree to raise awareness in the area of mental health and wellness through kindness. You can document this project by performing a short play, blogging, researching and joining an existing group you never knew about (for example, an LGBTQ group, cultural group, or volunteer group like a soup kitchen.)

Or start your own group! Spread your kindness and compassion for all to see!
These are just a few suggestions. What will YOUR project be? Don’t forget to tell your friends and family, and request an application!

To request a grant application, email Gillian@myfriendABBY.org.

Click below to read about recent grant recipient’s projects:

2020

Spring 2021

Remember, applications must be received by November 15th!

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Academic Enrichment, Extracurriculars, High School, Leadership, News, Volunteer, Wellnessactivities for high school students, community, grants fo high school students, mental health, passion project, wellness

Weekend Workshops for High School Students

By Brittany MaschalJan 16, 2020

The NYU School of Professional Studies High School Academy offers Weekend Workshops that provide high school students with programs of study that allow them to explore their professional options and enhance their college portfolio. Although I do not usually recommend formal pre-college type programs, I do think this is a great way for underclassmen to explore areas of academic interest. The deadline to apply is January 22, and classes start on February 8. The cost is $450 for 4 sessions. Read more here.

We’ve also got new programs launching in 2020! To stay up-to-date on program announcements, please subscribe.

The first is a purpose project collaboration with Strategy Girl. A purpose project is a project that draws on your interests and talents—the things you love, that bring you joy, that excite you academically—that you feel would fill a need in your school, community, or the world. Participants will:

Conceptualize a Purpose project—a project that students design and implement on their own, which taps into the students’ talents—the things they love, that bring them joy, that they want to study in college, or how they feel they could best help their school, community, or the world. They’re connected to your deeper meaning and purpose and they have tangible outcomes. Anyone can do them. What is most important is inspiration, commitment, and support!
Learn about the importance of collaboration over competition, seeking out support from others, and understanding that leadership is not a path walked alone.
Gain insights on goal-setting, strategy, learning from hurdles and setbacks, and how to stay sane in today’s highly competitive high school scene (including the craziness around college admissions!).
Draft a resume/activity sheet and learn about how their work in this program might be utilized when applying to college.

Past projects include writing a book, completing a literature review or book challenge, creating a trailer for a documentary, prototyping an app, spearheading an innovative volunteer event, creating a club at school, fundraising for an organization of your choice in a creative way (selling artwork, an Etsy shop, etc), and hosting a yearly beach clean-up.

This program meets online once weekly for 1.5 hours, for 5 weeks, with the option to meet other local participants in-person in the NYC-area. The deadline to apply is January 31, and classes start on February 15. The cost is $750, and scholarships are available.

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