Photo by Adam Wink

So I am going a little off my usual topics today because I want to talk about my other “job.”  When I am not working as “mommy,” “swim coach,” or “pilates instructor,” the job that pays the bills is high school college counselor.  I truly enjoying working with my students and watching them grow over their four years of high school.  The change that takes place in a high schooler over four years is truly amazing.  In the last year, I have really noticed how the recession has affected kids and their college choices.  Nearly fifty percent of our kids will attend one of our in-state schools, while the other group will be going out-of-state to mostly private, smaller schools.  I have had the privelege of working at both large state universities and a smaller regional liberal arts school during my career.  I would have to say, hands down, I enjoyed the small school experience the best.

I believe that smaller schools allow you to be more engaged mentally, active in a campus community, and participate at a broader level in various campus activities.  Not to say state schools don’t have their merit, I am solely talking about the college experience that prepares a student for their future through open class discussion, small student to teacher ratios, and a focus on writing and critical thinking.  I recently read Looking Beyond the Ivy League: Finding the College That’s Right for You by the late Loren Pope, he readily discusses the benefits of the small, liberal arts institution that focus on teaching and student research.  He believes the perfect college size is those that are under 5000 students because it gives the students the ability to interact with their professors and classmates.  Small schools encourage kids to have dialogues in and outside the classrooms and to take ownership of their own education.  Pope actually has his own list of Colleges that Change Lives and describes their benefits in the book of the same name.  What I find most intriguing is how today’s society focuses on the big name universities; ranging from the Ivy League to large state schools, in turn, dismissing many small, excellent institutions due to lack of name recognition.  Several years ago, I worked at a great liberal arts school, Truman State University, I was so impressed by the high level of teaching, camraderie amongst the students and faculty, and research done by the students that I would easily recruit students to that amazing institution.  In addition, the campus was thriving; they regularly had lectures from prominent national and international speakers, they had excellent sports teams and extremely active intramurals, and lastly it was cool to be smart and engaged in your own learning.  There are many great institutions out there that families don’t know about or discount because they haven’t “heard” of them.  If you have a student in high school I highly encourage you to check out some of the smaller, liberal arts institutions that will prepare your child for their future and help them grow into critical learners and productive members of our community.

While this post easily swayed from my usual topics, I have been extremely enamored with small liberal arts schools and the great college experience they can give to our young people.  In addition, I encourage you to check out those lesser known schools that may peak the interest of your student and/or yourself.   Active mommies need to also be active in finding our kids the best education possible!

So summer is quickly coming to an end in Phoenix.  While the days are still hot, the kids are going back to school and my next wave of college freshman are leaving their homes in Phoenix and heading off to places around the country.  I have committed to running the Phoenix PF Chang’s Marathon in January and I am preparing for my long training days.  This summer has been quite successful at getting back into shape and losing some pounds.  I committed to five days a week at the gym and enjoyed my morning spin classes, lifting, and/or eliptical training.  On the weekends, I usually got in a good run before the sun was high and the 110 degree day made it impossible to go outside. 

Phoenicians have it tough in the summer when the kids are out of school, unlike most areas of the country we are forced inside most of the day keeping our kids out of the hot sun.  I found lots of indoor activities for my busy three year old to participate in and was happy that many business owners focused on opening their spaces to their young clientele.  We regularly frequented a cheer gym who had a bouncy house and use of their equipment open to the public twice weekly for a cheap $3 visit.  We frequented the story-hour at Barnes and Noble, participated in the Little Gym, went to library activities, and took regular trips to the mall.  I do believe the mall became my sons favorite summertime treat.  We rode the elevators and escalators for hours and played in the mall play place.  In addition, the mall frequently had kids activities (car racing was our favorite), music, and entertaining fountains all in the cool (almost cold) airconditioning.  As long as I stayed away from shopping, the mall was a free entertainment venue! The Phoenix Zoo had Friday and Saturday evenings open with lots of water play, bouncy houses, and slides to entertain too!  Overall, summer could be a bust when it is so hot, yet you can find cheap and/or free options to get your family out and moving during those hot days.  Finally, our true family favorite is the swimming pool.  Whether you have a pool in your yard or you head to the local pool, swimming cools you down and keeps your kids active.  My son became increasingly water safe and enjoyed countless hours playing in the water.  Get yourself and your children outside as the summer quickly comes to a close!