SJS News

Saint James sixth formers have the unique opportunity to participate in a series of workshops on a variety of topics related to college and adult life. The Senior Seminar Series launched in 2021 and has developed into an important educational program for our soon-to-be-graduates. The seminars take place during Exam Week at the end of May when underform students are busy with finals. David Hutchings, Dean of Students, plans the seminar topics and invites guest speakers to share their expertise.

“We put these seminars together to give the graduating sixth formers a look at the world they will be entering as they head to college,” Mr. Hutchings said. “For all the things they learn at Saint James, there are some practical life skills missing. The presenters talk about their different areas of expertise in hopes the students can make the right moves and decisions in college, but the seminars also provide a look into different professions and what certain majors might look like. Each presenter ends up sharing stories from their college experiences and helps paint a more realistic picture of what the jump from Saint James to college will look like.” 

SJS alum and current parent David Finn ’85 led two of the seminars, one on budgeting and the other on finance. Another current parent, Peter Pentony, presented on College and the Law. Jenna Gardner, a therapist and counselor at Brook Lane, led a session on Managing Stress and Mental Health. 

“The presenters talk to the sixth formers like they are adults and don’t sugar coat things,” Mr. Hutchings said. “The students are grateful, and considering they are days away from graduation, they take a lot of notes and ask plenty of questions.” 

Mr. Hutchings facilitated a session on the transition to college (with an activity and questions from The Social Institute) and led the College Relationships and Health Decisions seminar.

“We spend so much time making sure the students are not getting involved with anything related to sex, drugs, and rock and roll while at Saint James, but those things exist in the college environment,” said Mr. Hutchings. “We have to acknowledge their existence and talk about how alcohol impacts relationships, where the dangers are in colleges, and how the students are accountable to the law as adults.”

The final seminar is a Young Alumni College Panel which was led by Molly Lachut, Director of College Counseling. Phillip Aguila ‘23, Mac Carter ‘23, Sean Rowe ‘22, Holly Butcher ‘22, Felipe Avellaneda ‘22, and Griffin Almany ‘20 came back to the Saint James campus to share about their recent college experiences.

Overall, the goal is that the Senior Seminar Series will make the transition to college a little smoother and common pitfalls of young college students may be avoided.

“The more our students can think about their goals in the future and how their choices early in college can impact those goals, the better positioned they are to be successful and grow into leaders in their new communities and their future fields,” said Mr. Hutchings.

We thank all of our special guests for participating, and look forward to building upon this program next year.