Encompassing Bellarmine’s mission of being a “college prep” school is not just academic readiness. Through an extensive list of extracurricular activities and programs, 1:1 counselor support, annual retreats, and inclusive leadership opportunities, Bellarmine aims to prepare students for their future beyond just college. However, with so many resources available for success, what’s the distinction between inspiring and intimidating students? Let’s hear some retrospective opinions from our sophomores, juniors, and seniors:
Lyla Hulse, Senior: I think that it definitely is a lot, coming in as a freshman, and everyone’s coming at you screaming ‘Get involved! Do all these things and join all these clubs!’ But also, at the same time, it’s very true. When I was a freshman, I thought I signed up for so many things and now, as a senior, I’m realizing I wish that I did more stuff. I think there’s a little bit of a disconnect on how we encourage freshmen to sign up. And I know there are a lot of seniors who wish they had done more and gotten more engaged.
Cece Sanders, Senior: I think that at first, it can be intimidating. Especially for me, coming from a public school…I didn’t know how people were going to react towards me joining a club or space. At first it can be a bit much and overwhelming, because you want to do all this stuff but you have nobody. So you gotta learn how to make friends all over again. But I also like that they push you to get involved early, because not only does it help you with making friends, but it also helps with academics and applying to college and stuff.
Carys Blair, Junior: I would say it’s really both. At Bellarmine, the faculty and upperclassmen really push you to find your place really early on—it’s one of the first things they tell you at freshman orientation—but everyone here is so competitive, which leads you to put a lot of pressure on your grades and doing well academically, which can feel really intimidating and stressful.
Ben Kwiatkowski, Junior: I think Bellarmine offers a lot of support for finding where you want to go to college. I think the culture is good, so that you know what you need to do when you go to college. When I was a freshman I [felt intimidated by pressure to have it all figured out], but not anymore.
Aden Pukac, Sophomore: I feel like it’s really encouraging…your teachers encourage you, and having the priests on campus is helpful because they also encourage you. All around, things are pushing you closer, and it’s very open—it’s your choice, and if you choose that it’s easy to seek what you’re looking for.
From the previous reflections, there’s a largely present theme: while Bellarmine’s “get involved” memo can potentially place pressure on underclassmen–and especially freshmen–many students are grateful for it looking back. However, as Hulse stated, the way that students are encouraged to sign up for activities can be stressful, and reforms could be highly beneficial in order to better toe the line between inspiring and intimidating. Perhaps this could look like getting underclassmen feedback through surveys as they transition from freshman to sophomore year, or organizing a panel of upperclassmen to present extracurricular activities to their classmates rather than staff, separate from the annual club fair.
As students make their way through Bellarmine, it’s important to consider if college “preparation” is coming too early, or how students can be better equipped to handle the pressure as they set themselves up for success.
