“Am I ready for life as an adult?” That is a question many seniors ask themselves as they near the end of their high school careers. This spring, Pinewood’s Adulting 101 Workshops plan to prepare seniors for adult life through addressing topics such as personal finance, cooking and nutrition, apartment skills (like reading a lease), and navigating healthcare. Between spring break and AP exam week, four of these optional workshops will be offered during office hours.
Previously, Pinewood conducted a similar program developed by current Associate Director of College Counseling and Academic Advising Carolyn Siegel named “Onward.” This year, Upper Head of School Eve Kulbieda and Alumni Relations and Events Associate Kayla Whitehouse are working to continue Siegel’s vision. Kulbieda believes that the Adulting 101 Workshops will help seniors gain the tools necessary to succeed in life.
“It’s all about confidence,” Kulbieda said. “I think not providing confidence holds them back from feeling like they can lean into all the things.”
Still, much of the program remains unknown. One remaining unknown is who will instruct the workshops. In fact, Kulbieda said that members of the Pinewood community, other than teachers, might teach as well.
“It’s evolving,” Kulbieda said. Kayla Whitehouse is looking for alumni to run some of the workshops.”
Regardless of the decisions yet to be made, Kulbieda remains focused on supporting the needs and desires of each senior.
“Part of our discussions when I meet with the seniors next will be about these seminars and exactly what they want,” Kulbieda said.
Despite the high school graduate stereotype of needing to learn basic house chores, senior Jared Bowman hopes to familiarize himself with more difficult skills such as tax jargon and legal paperwork.
“Taxes and the legal system are really confusing,” Bowman said. “I have no idea what I need to fill out.”
Alternatively, senior Prisha Mohapatra believes that finding different ways to manage time will be even more valuable in adult life.
“In high school you’re told when to do what, but then in the adult world, you don’t really get guidance, so learning different ways to be able to do that will be helpful.” Mohapatra said.
Despite these uncertainties, seniors are ready to embrace adulthood through the workshops.
“I feel excited and ready to learn how to be prepared, but I don’t think I’m prepared yet,” Bowman said. “I don’t think anyone would really be prepared at the start.”
Thinking back to her experiences of becoming an adult, Kulbieda said that confidence and experience allowed for her to adjust to adulthood.
“Because I was already doing those things, that really set me up for success,” Kulbieda said. “It made me more resilient, but also more confident when I went out into the wide world.”
Kulbieda believes that the Adulting 101 Workshops are important for seniors and their growth as individuals beginning to navigate real life.
“These workshops will help build confidence and self-esteem and provide seniors with a skill set that they may not have been exposed to yet,” Kulbieda said.