areas of college financial planning and college
search preparation, but, to our knowledge, we
are unique in the respect that we offer such a
comprehensive insight into the best fit financially,
socially, personality, learning style, and potential.
Faith Filled Family: Do you work with the variety
universities and colleges nationwide?
Stephanie Kennedy: We help our clients
consider all types of colleges and universities.
Most of our clients are seeking the traditional,
4-year residential college experience, but we urge
them to explore any options that may be a “fit” for
them. For example, some families come to us
thinking that a community college is not a suitable
education for their student. I really encourage
students to visit their local community college
and see what high quality the education is there,
which often surprises them. For many community
colleges, the economic downturn of 2008 changed
their student profile significantly. Students who
would have typically matriculated directly to a
4-year university started their educations at their
community college. Furthermore, some students
are seeking really different options in their
education such as a degree abroad or “stopping
out” before college and taking a “Gap Year”.
Faith Filled Family: In your experience, have
you found that the secular institutions encourage
or overlook spiritual development?
Stephanie Kennedy: This is the focus of a recent
series of articles I’ve written and continue to
research. I have always been interested in the full
spectrum of College Student Development, which
utilizes several developmental theories, but one
that we can easily identify is the holistic model of
human development: it includes seven segments
of development on a circular wheel, representing
the “wholeness”—intellectual, emotional, physical,
occupational, social, spiritual and environmental.
In my experience in the seven colleges and
universities that I worked in over 22 years, colleges
readily address and encourage in a number of
ways six of the seven. While they don’t ignore
the spiritual segment, it is a segment that is often
sidelined to the “Campus Ministry” department,
which was usually an underfunded, understaffed,
less-recognized group on the campus. Many
times, the campus leadership would simply refer
families to the student organizations on campus
and imply that, that was the only path to one’s
religious practices and spiritual development. I
always thought that it was such a lost opportunity
for colleges that were not faith-based or affiliated
with a religious denomination or foundation. I am
privileged to have had a mentor in my first year at
college, Fr. Ken Irgang, who said… I am on a bit
of a crusade to build awareness and bring spiritual
development to the forefront.
Faith Filled Family: How involved are the families
involved in the selection process?
Stephanie Kennedy: Of course it varies with the
family, but overall, given the fact that this is one
of the three greatest decisions that one can make
in their lives, those being: choosing one’s faith,
choosing an education, and choosing a spouse,
wouldn’t you agree? Families vary in their sense
of how independent a 16 or 17-year-old should be
in these decisions. I think many are missing the
opportunity to link two out of the three.
Faith Filled Family: The company’s website
http://kennedyeducationservices.com
identifies
most factors used in aiding an individual make
the decision of the best fit for their goals. Can you
explain some of those issues?
Stephanie Kennedy: How much time do we
have? Well, we certainly take into account the
more familiar elements that many people consider
in their college selection. For example: choice
of major, distance from home, pride and “spirit”
they feel on campus, sense of belonging, that
this “feels right” to the student which, incidentally,
is ONE statistically significant factor in making a
good choice. Unfortunately, too many families
(and students and parents are equally guilty of
this believe that the more prestige the college
has, the more active or celebrity (in their field)
alumni, the more easily recognized the name of
the school, the more likely their student will be
successful. The truth is that, and this is where we
shine in Kennedy Educational Services and My
College Planning Team, there are a minimum of
11 factors to consider seriously. The lesser-known
ones are finding the college that fits your Learning
Style. Do the professors teach in the way that
you LEARN best? Does the college fit your
PERSONALITY, challenge for introverts Does the
college ENVIRONMENT fit your needs and that’s
not just a decision between city and suburban and