The Green Pages
News from Christ School’s College Guidance Office
May 2011
Spotlight:
Graylyn Loomis ’10
With a love of golf, a desire to see the
world and experience life and academics
at one of the oldest and most prestigious
universities in the UK, Christ School
alumnus, Graylyn Loomis, Class of 2010,
took time to catch up with us from the
University of St. Andrews in Scotland.
How and when did you think you might wish to
study at St. Andrews? I began to give thought to doing a freshman year
abroad when I first met my advisor at Christ
School, Danny Wright, who had done a year at
St. Andrews during his college experience. I
visited the school over Christmas break in 2009 and I really
liked the town, university, and of course the golf courses. It
was at that point that I decided I definitely wanted to do a
year abroad at the University of St. Andrews.
Was the transition from Christ School to St. Andrews easy
or difficult? What obstacles did you face? How is their
educational system different from ours?
My personal transition from high school to college was
different, I expect, from most Christ School graduates going
to college in the US. At St. Andrews, students take three
classes per semester which meet three days a week for one
hour. Only having class three days a week brings about unique
opportunities and challenges. The huge amount of free time
is great for golfing and other activities, but it also presents a
time management challenge.
In the School of Arts a class will typically have two essays
and one exam per semester. There is very little material that
is actually turned in to the professors. This makes the weight
of the two essays and exam pretty heavy. Because of this, it
is solely up to the student to keep up with his academics. It is
easy to just play golf and do literally no studying. Learning to
balance lots of free time and little (but important) work was a
challenge initially.
Graylyn Loomis ’10 in front of his dorm at St. Andrews.
Can you describe a typical day or week in your life at St.
Andrews?
A typical Monday at St. Andrews consists of waking up around
10:30 and going to my 11:00 English class. I then have lunch
and go to my 1:00 science class. I bring my golf clubs to my
3:00 ethics class, from which I immediately head to the golf
course. After a quick round of golf on the Old Course, I have
dinner and then head to the library to do schoolwork. This is
the typical schedule for Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.
Outside of class days, I play as much golf as possible while
also studying and trying to travel around the UK.
What advice or words of wisdom might you offer
underclassmen about their first year in college?
My best advice would be to try and strike a successful balance
between work and leisure time as soon as possible in college.
There is nobody to tell you to do your work or how to spend
your time as there is at Christ School. The key to success is
being able to keep a healthy balance with the academics and
recreational activities.
Spotlight continued on page 2
The Green Pages: College Guidance News
Spotlight continued from page 1
What have been your most memorable experiences to date
overseas?
I have had many memorable experiences so I will just name
a few. I have been able to play golf with some very interesting
people. I’ve played with everyone from Arnold Palmer’s dentist
to the former Prince of Portugal (when they still had a royal
family). It was quite interesting to play with a small crowd of
people — and a security crew!
Living so close to continental Europe has made for some
great trips. I spent two weeks in Spain during late January,
travelling out of a backpack and seeing the countryside.
Flights are incredibly cheap. For example, my taxi from the
dorm to the airport cost more than my round trip flight to
Madrid.
I am sure that one of my most memorable experiences
will be working at the Open Championship this year at Royal
St. George’s Golf Club. The St. Andrews Men’s Golf Club has
the unique chance to work as marshals on the 18th green of
the Open every year. I will be flying back to work for that week
during July. I can’t wait!
Graylyn on one of the seven local courses.
What are your plans for the future?
At the moment I plan on majoring in English and then possibly
proceeding to law school.
In Her Own Words…
A Parent’s Observations and Advice after Her Son’s First Year in College
Jennifer Londono is the mother of Santi ’10 who recently completed his freshman year at Wake Forest University.
S
anti left full of determination and
confidence, all stemming from a
successful experience at Christ
School. He had achieved almost all that
he desired in high school as a Proctor,
club organizer, and strong contributor
to the school’s drama and athletic
programs.
He hit the road running at Wake
Forest, eager and ready to make his
impact. In his first semester, he
invested himself in several groups—
Student Government, Pre-Law Society, a
community service fraternity, Greek Life,
and a FULL academic course-load.
Now, near the end of his freshman
year, our son has “self-corrected” as we
knew he would. We only made slight
suggestions along the way. He has
lessened his workload and learned to
balance his class choices. He has had
to say “NO” to things that he enjoys
for a while, while keeping the ones
that work with his schedule and help
him to achieve long term goals such as
student government, pre-law society, and
leadership opportunities in Greek life.
His passion for choir, community service,
and athletics will have to be added
gradually. He has discovered Rome
wasn’t built in a day!
I believe Christ School graduates
are well prepared for their collegiate
experience. They understand the value
of time management and appreciate
the structure Christ School offers them.
In college, they will return to a similar
schedule gradually…on their own. I
can hear my son already telling me his
plan for summer school—to get ahead
with credit hours, his sophomore year
aspirations, summer internships and
study abroad opportunities.
My advice to parents: Let your
sons be over-confident based on their
Christ School experience and then let
them self-correct. They have learned
confidence at Christ School. Embrace
their desire to join Greek life, if that
is their choice; they have learned to
love their brothers at Christ School and
will miss that bond. Finally, and most
importantly, don’t get upset about their
newly discovered viewpoints on any
subject that may differ from yours. They
will self-correct, of that I am sure!
Learning to Walk:
Counselor Tom Sherry on the Transition to College
E
very parent can recall their child’s
first steps. It is a wonderful
moment in both lives. Through
weeks and months, we watch them fall
down and get up again. We do not reach
out to catch them each time they tumble,
but we do console their occasional tears.
We do not teach toddlers to walk. We
are merely supportive bystanders, soothing
their frustration and encouraging each
attempt as they slowly find their way.
So it is with adolescents. They, like
their younger selves, are taking risks —
sometimes failing, sometimes succeeding.
But this time we are not watching. This
time we cannot catch them or even hold
them in their tears. As parents, it is good
Counselor Tom Sherry
to remember that, just like a toddler,
children have to fall in order to succeed. Let your child fall. It
is through taking risks, making mistakes, and just being plain
stupid that all of us grow up. Success is merely the byproduct
of corrected failure.
Just a few months ago, you were able to leverage some
control and seek to protect your son from most bad decisions.
Those days are numbered. As adolescents move towards
adulthood, your role changes. We slowly shift our focus from
control to guidance. This is an awkward time because you and
your son may not know when control or guidance is needed.
Like these college-bound young men, we too have to take
similar risks (and bite our nails) as we watch them struggle
with their own power.
We never doubt that our children will walk; neither should
we doubt that our sons will emerge into the wonderful adults
we have envisioned for so long. By expressing confidence, we
are telling them that we trust them and know they will “figure
it out.” Be generous with your support and guidance but be
judicious with your use of control. Control can sometimes
convey a lack of faith and may limit a child’s willingness to
seek your guidance. When you exert control, you limit his
capacity to take ownership of his own power. This is a very
difficult transition; hold empathy in your heart for both you
and your son. Soon you will no longer be Mom or Dad, but
rather the parent of a remarkable young man.
So, when your brilliant pre-med student comes home
and says, “I’ve decided to leave school and become a circus
performer,” you say, “That’s great. How
did you come to this decision?” Your
son may have found his passion and will
leverage his strengths juggling with Cirque
du Soleil, or he will change his mind after
a few broken bones, or, most likely, he
will find something new and exciting that
neither he nor you considered. No matter
what, he will transform his passion into
happiness and isn’t that what you have
wished for all along?
Encourage your son to pursue his
interests with vigor and passion and to
enjoy the confidence to change his mind
when things don’t work out. The choice
is now his — for better or for worse. Love
him and let go. It will be okay.
HIGHLIGHTS
Success is merely the byproduct of corrected failure.
As adolescents move towards adulthood, your control
changes with them.
Be generous with your support and guidance, but be
judicious with your use of control.
We never doubt that our children will walk; neither
should we doubt that our sons will emerge into the
wonderful adults we have envisioned for so long.
Encourage your son to pursue his goals with vigor and
passion.
This is a very difficult transition; hold empathy in your
heart for both you and your son.
There are companies such as College Visits (www.college-visits.com) that facilitate college tours.
If you have the time and funds, this is a great way to see several schools in a short time.
Master the Test:
Preparing for Standardized Tests
T
hough few of us enjoy taking standardized tests,
they can be influential components of the college
application process. It is critical that students
understand which tests they must take, when they should be
taken, and how to interpret results; our college counselors
meet with students individually and in small groups to clarify
these points. In order to do their best, it is also imperative
that students prepare for these tests. All Christ School
students do some test preparation in their math, science,
and English courses during junior year, but we strongly
recommend that all students set aside additional time for
test preparation.
Every student has his own needs and goals as he tackles
standardized test prep. The following list includes programs
and methods that have helped Christ School students in
the past or earned a reputation for effectiveness. Note: If
your son needs accommodations for standardized tests in
the 2011-12 school year, please contact Dale Sparacino
immediately to initiate the approval process (dsparacino@
christschool.org).
In Print
Christ School recommends that students purchase and study
Direct Hits Core Vocabulary of the SAT (rising sophomores)
and Direct Hits Toughest Vocabulary of the SAT (rising
juniors). These books can be purchased through the Christ
School Bookstore. Peterson’s, McGraw-Hill, Kaplan, College
Board and Barron’s offer comprehensive test prep books;
most include CDs and multiple sample tests. These books
are available through publisher websites and Amazon.
Online Programs
College Board Online Resources
(www.sat.collegeboard.com)
ACT Test Prep (www.actstudent.org)
Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com)
Princeton Review (www.princetonreview.com)
Gorilla Test Prep (www.gorillatestprep.com)
Classes and Tutoring
Christ School Test Prep – This course introduces Christ
School students to every aspect of the SAT and ACT, and
helps them identify and master the sections that give them
difficulty. There is no extra charge for this course and it
is offered every quarter during the school year. For more
information about this class or individual tutoring at Christ
School, please contact Dale Sparacino (dsparacino@
christschool.org).
Asheville Learning, Inc. provides premium, individualized
• What
• When
• How
for Testing
test preparation and academic coaching services to provide
a “best-fit” for each student’s target scores, learning style,
and baseline concept understanding; typically one-on-one
sessions are conducted in the student’s school or home.
For more information, call Ben Ambrosino, Director, at
(828)713-7135 or send an email inquiry to succeed@
ashevillelearning.com.
Chyten is a nationally franchised center with an array of
tutoring services in addition to test prep. One Christ School
student wrote that Chyten was “the reason” for the “huge
increase” in his scores. There are three North Carolina
branches: Asheville, Clayton and Wake Forest. For more
information about services and locations, visit www.chyten.
com.
Direct Hits offers intensive, four-day test prep sessions in
Atlanta. Go to www.directhitseducation.com to learn more.
Academic Consulting & Educational Services offers highly
individualized, flexible tutoring for students in the CharlotteMecklenburg area. More information is available at www.
bettersat4u.com.
In addition to their print and online programs, Kaplan
(www.kaptest.com) and Princeton Review (www.testprep.
princetonreview.com) offer courses in select locations around
the country. Consult their websites for dates, locations, and
prices.
Questions about testing? Please contact…
Scheduling/Test Content/Reading Scores – Your Son’s
College Counselor (Emily Pulsifer, 9th and 10th Grades; Kirk
Blackard, 11th and 12th Grades)
Registration/Ordering Score Reports – Coco Parham, Testing
Coordinator and Administrative Assistant (cparham@
christschool.org)
Extended Time/Eligibility for All Accommodations – Dale
Sparacino, Learning Resources and Test Prep Teacher
(dsparacino@christschool.org)
Career Speaker Series Career
Speaker Series 2011
The College Guidance Office would like to thank all of the Christ
School parents and relatives who shared their career expertise
with our students during the month of April. This year’s
participants included:
Dr. Doug Scothorn, Pediatric Oncologist
Dr. Mary deBeus, Psychologist
Mr. Robert Nadler, Sales Manager, First Citizen’s Bank
Mr. David Wiggins, Certified Public Accountant
Mr. Patrick Dunn, Engineer
Mrs. Lee Anne Mangone, Attorney
Ms. Samantha Davidson Green, Filmmaker and Screenwriter
Ms. Brenda Lilly, Screen Actors Guild of America
College Guidance
Contact Information
500 Christ School Road
Arden, NC 28704
828-684-6232
Kirk Blackard, Director, ext. 110
kblackard@christschool.org
Emily Pulsifer
College Counselor for 9th
and 10th Grade, ext. 229
epulsifer@christschool.org
Coco Parham, Testing Coordinator and
Administrative Assistant, ext. 167
cparham@christschool.org
(Mon-Thurs, 8:30am-2:00pm)
Jennifer Bird, Registrar, ext. 101
jbird@christschool.org
Actress and playwright, Brenda Lilly, meets with Richard Mull,
George Wolfram, and Thomas Heynen.
College Guidance
Spring and Summer
Calendar
• May 16 – Transition to College/
Alumni Panel (SENIORS)
• May 22 – Graduation (ALL)
• June 4 – SAT/SUBJECT TEST
Administration* (Select
SOPHOMORES and JUNIORS)
• June 11 – ACT* (Select JUNIORS)
*Students must register for these tests
and take them in their hometowns.
Mr. Patrick Dunn shares his engineering career experience with
Director Kirk Blackard, Vince Chen, Rardin Clower, and Rex Qiu.