Life Skills for College and Career
This course for high school juniors and seniors helps prepare them for going to college, finding a career, and living on their own. Classes meet on the third Monday evening of each month from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. (beginning January 17).
Topics are as follows:
Top Ten Tips: Students discuss their concerns and hopes for life after high school and get some tips for preparing for and starting college.
Find Your Fit: Students learn a little about themselves through personality instruments.
Networking: Students learn what it means to network and practice the skill.
Interviewing: Students learn about the dos and don’ts of in-person and virtual interviewing and take part in mock interviews.
Financial Planning: Students learn about basic concepts of budgeting, savings, and taxes and come away with an idea of how to budget at college.
Relationships: Students discuss the important components of various relationships and learn how to navigate life with a roommate.
Living on Your Own: Students practice basic skills including cooking, taking care of clothes, car maintenance, and others.
Mental, Spiritual, and Physical Well-Being: Students learn about and practice various aspects of self-care.
Teachers
Jocelyn Hsu has been a member of Holy Comforter since 1999 and taught Sunday School for several years. In her professional life, she has worked in various financial, training, and management positions in the government contracting industry since 1993 and currently serves as the Chief Administrative Officer at Paradyme Management. She was also a founding board member of the non-profit Real Food for Kids and served on the board for ten years. She received a BA in Economics from University of Connecticut and an MBA from George Mason University. Jocelyn is the mother of two college students, Olive is a freshman at North Carolina State University and Ethan is a senior at University of South Carolina.
Kip Brailey is a retired senior executive who served for 32 years in a variety of positions, the last one being Assistant Director of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Kip is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and has a BA in political science, an MA in Economics and an ABD in political science (international affairs). Kip joined Holy Comforter in 1998 and has served on both the Finance and Stewardship Committees. He was a Vestry member for two tours, including serving as both Junior and Senior Warden. Kip taught “Confirm Not Conform” for twelve years. He has two sons, both of whom were active in the Holy Comforter youth program. Post retirement, Kip occasionally assists the Marine War College in running strategic wargames for their students. He has written an as-yet unpublished book for mentors and mentees. He is an avid golfer, gamer, and a rabid fan of the Boston Red Sox and the UConn women’s basketball team.
