|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||
| | ||||||||
|
Contact: Jenni Brockman Phone: 804-443-3357 Fax: 804-443-6781 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tappahannock (January 6, 2003) - Your teachers really are right, said a group of recent St. Margaret's School alumnae who returned to campus to offer advice to current juniors and seniors. Remaining organized, studying regularly and planning ahead are the keys to college success. 
Photo left:
Brittany Walker of Callao (second from right), a 2002 St. Margaret's School graduate attending Randolph-Macon College, shares advice about life after high school with SMS juniors and seniors. Looking on, left to right, are Katie Farmer of Miller's Tavern, a junior at James Madison University, Brandy Benito, a freshman at George Mason University, and SMS Alumnae Director Liz Musselman.
The graduates' words of wisdom are relevant for any teenager considering higher education: Do your homework. "It sounds obvious, but it's true," said Heather Porter of Walkerton, a 2002 SMS graduate attending Elon University. "It's really important to keep up with your assignments," seconded Becca Brown, an alumna who graduated this spring from Georgetown University and landed a job at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. "There's no way you can write a good 20-page paper the day before it's due." Manage your time. "Get it done, then have fun," said Stephanie Pirok, a 1996 SMS grad from Urbanna who earned a psychology degree from Old Dominion University and currently attends dental school at the Medical College of Virginia. Recent alum Brittany Walker of Callao, a Presidential Scholar at Randolph-Macon College, studies during the day between classes so she can enjoy a weeknight movie. "My roommate, on the other hand, stays up until 3 a.m.!" she said. Go to class. College is different from high school, said Carter Holloway, a member of the SMS Class of 2002 attending Virginia Tech. "The professors don't lecture from the book, but from other sources, including their own research. You'll miss a lot if miss class." Stay Organized. James Madison University nursing student and Miller's Tavern native Katie Farmer SMS '00 relies on a big wall calendar to track her academic and clinical schedules. Brown admits that, "One year, I even came back to campus and got the same kind of assignment book that we had to use in high school." Hold Onto Those Notecards. Kristina Bethea, a 2002 SMS graduate attending Ohio's Denison University, admits she still doesn't like notecards, but they are the best way to research a paper. "And don't get defensive about all those red marks on your essays in high school," she added. "Your teachers are trying to help you. Thanks to what I learned at St. Margaret's, writing a 10- or 20-page college paper is no big deal." Other recent SMS graduates returning to campus included Brandy Benito, a George Mason University freshman; Anne Czechanski, a College of the Atlantic freshman; Shannon Davis of Tappahannock, a Randolph-Macon College freshman; Taylor Ellis, a Rappahannock Community College freshman; Emily Fisher of Lottsburg, a Longwood University freshman; Katie Herrick, a GMU freshman; Stephanie Hinson of Tappahannock, a Virginia Wesleyan University senior; and Olivia Longest of Tappahannock, a James Madison University freshman. Also, Virginia King, a JMU freshman; Alston Moore, an international student at New Zealand's Queen Margaret College; Kat Price, a Mary Baldwin freshman; Cathy Ryan of Tappahannock, a Virginia Tech sophomore; Cameron Sgroi of Tappahannock, a Virginia Tech junior; Carolyn Stephenson of Tappahannock, a University of Virginia sophomore; Cynthia Walker of Warsaw, a Longwood University student; and Brianna Wright, a Goucher College sophomore. |
 |