Parents Committee a catalyst

By Holly Camerota MAT ’98 & P’08

Traveling from as far as Maine and New Jersey and as nearby as Mystic and Waterford, 29 enthusiastic Parents Committee volunteers made the trip to campus on a recent April Saturday to meet one another and hear from staff leaders on just how the group’s efforts do — and can — help keep the College moving forward.

Co-chairs Dave and Pam O’Neill, parents of Michael ’07, led an enthusiastic group of parents during an informative brainstorming session. The O’Neills complimented the other parents on their great ideas, solid support and volunteer efforts over the past few months.

The parents shared stories about their children: a son who is studying in Paris; a daughter who enjoys living in substance-free housing; a son who started the College’s first sustainable organic garden after being inspired by his SATA India experience abroad; and a daughter who joined the Shwiffs a cappella group and will be an RA next year.

Close, but not too close: While not wanting to get too involved in their children’s college lives, these parents find their work with the committee a perfect avenue to keep close to the College and their kids. They connect with other CC parents in several ways, such as:

First phone calls to newly accepted freshmen: Parents Committee members help Admission reach out to parents of prospective students from the class of 2010. CC parents answer questions they may have about the College.

Successes from CELS and internships: Parents naturally want to know how a CC education helps their child secure a promising future. Over 90 percent of CC students use the CELS (Career-Enhancing Life Skills) office, and 65 percent of juniors participate in funded internships or research projects that have, so far, taken them to 23 states and 30 countries/provinces to gain real-world experience and see the practical application of their liberal arts education.

CELS counselors work day and night to make those desired internships a reality. Parents who can offer student internships or job opportunities to new graduates are encouraged to contact Deborah Dreher ’89, director of CELS, at deborah.dreher@conncoll.edu.

On another high note, parents learned that in using the unique ePortfolio program that helps students form and follow career and educational paths, the College is enjoying the best year in graduate school acceptances ever. 

New ideas for engaging more parents: A lunchtime brainstorming session brought forth some friend-raising and fundraising ideas, such as a reception/cocktail party for Fall Weekend to thank parent donors and engage new parents, and e-mailing college event notices to encourage parents to attend.

Parents Fund Participation is way up: Brandy Kolmer, assistant director of the Parents Fund/Annual Giving, said 60 percent of the committee’s 57 families have given to the College through the Parents Fund. Parents have raised $406,000 in cash towards a goal of $500,000 — an increase of $113,000 over the same time last year. Participation from parents is at 20 percent overall, also up significantly from the same time last year, when it was at 8 percent.

To learn more about the CC Parents Committee contact Brandy at brandy.kolmer@conncoll.edu or Nancy Picard at nancy.picard@conncoll.edu. Or call 1 -800-888-7549.