Emissary Cameron Thomas teamed up with some of his fellow classmates to provide an informational wellness seminar about the college application process on May 6. Aimed at current juniors like myself who are stressed and preparing to apply to college in the fall, Thomas covered various topics including why college has become so expensive, how to figure out which college is right for you and which sources are most reliable for researching information about colleges.

His inspiration for this wellness seminar came from his junior year. 

“I know that there are a lot of unspoken rules about the [college application] process, so I wanted to do whatever I could to enlighten my juniors, so they wouldn’t make some of the mistakes that most people make,” he said.

Thomas interviewed college admissions officers from 12 different colleges in preparation for this seminar, asking specific questions about how they will be handling the COVID-19 crisis and how it will impact the incoming college classes. For more useful information and resources, Thomas also reached out to one of the MSMS counselors, Dr. Heath Stevens.

Juniors filled the Zoom call to hear Thomas’s informational words to get a better idea of what they need to do in order to strengthen their college application. Junior Aastha Banga elaborated on how the seminar gave her an insider to some of the things she needed to start considering, especially because of her background and recent move to the United States. 

“I thoroughly enjoyed the seminar,” she said. “Since I am the first one from my family to go to college in the States, and I had no clue how it worked, this helped me get a better idea of it and definitely showed me I really need to start working on some stuff.”

Throughout the call, seniors Gina Nguyen, Alex Magee and Rachel Zheng reaffirmed everything that Thomas said to provide more clarity and a variety of experiences to the conversation. They also helped answer questions from the juniors during the presentation. 

Thomas also encouraged everyone to take advantage of the COVID-19 situation and find a way to make the best of the extra time we are given.

Thomas’s presentation proved effective as several juniors expressed they feel more prepared to begin the college application process. 

“His presentation made me feel less overwhelmed with all that is to come,” junior Niyah Lockett said. 

“It was very informative, and I’m glad I went to it even though the chances of me going to MSU are high,” junior Colin Gordy said. 

The wellness seminar dove deeper into topics about college that are not as commonly discussed as well, which made it more insightful than most information that juniors had recently heard.

“I found Cameron’s seminar very insightful because he made an effort to give specific tips that you don’t hear very often,” junior Skylar Nguyen said.

From the overwhelming responses by the junior class, Thomas exceeded the expectations that were set for his seminar. 

Despite being apart from each other, students have found new ways to stay connected and help each other out. Juniors are able to receive guidance from their seniors even as the school year comes to an end and look forward to seeing how Thomas’s tips and advice will be used this fall.