The college search process can often be a stressful time for many, and even more so now during a pandemic. In the early fall, Shaker High School senior Mikayla Brunell recognized the need to keep seniors engaged and informed, so she teamed up with Siena College to host events for Shaker seniors to help them navigate the process.
In the early fall, Mikayla, President of the Shaker Business Club, reached out to Siena College to see if they would be interested in helping.
“I kept thinking of virtual ways that we could host an event and include Siena College somehow,” Mikayla said. “As a senior, I have been on many college webinars and one of the events that I enjoyed was Siena College’s College Talk Tuesday. After I attended, I had the idea to host a virtual college event sponsored by our Business Club, specifically for our students.”
That is how the idea for the “Ask a Bison” Zoom event was born. The event was held on October 28, where they focused on how to begin your search all the way to submitting college applications. The event also featured a panel of Shaker alumni who are currently Siena Saints, who gave advice and tips on how to manage the college process.
“I was very excited to see that all of our planning and hard work had paid off,” Mikayla said. “Seeing so many students involved and eager to kickstart their college process made me feel a sense of accomplishment. Being that our first event was so successful, I am looking forward to future events, and I am very optimistic of what is to come.”
Around 50 Shaker students participated in the “Ask a Bison” event. Mikayla says she hopes the Business Club will be able to host more virtual events to help her classmates in the coming months.
“Our hope is to create events for students in grades 9-12, so that all students can feel prepared and informed when they begin their college search,” Mikayla said.