Resilience Recharge: Self-Care Strategies for Admissions Officers

This workshop will provide college administrators, including admissions officers, financial aid officers, and academic advisors with strategies for protecting their mental and emotional health while reading personal/professional statements of applicants where they share their story of trauma and resilience. On an airplane, flight attendants will give safety instructions to “put your oxygen mask on first before helping others” which requires one to take care of their safety before they can take care of others. Participants will learn about the potential impact of reading trauma-based personal statements on their well-being, as well as coping mechanisms and self-care strategies. The workshop will also provide an opportunity for participants to share their experiences, ways they have incorporated well-being checks in their admissions process and learn from each other.

“Moreover, the idea that all traumatic events can be converted into positive learning experiences is simply a byproduct of toxic positivity. Personal statements encourage an element of superficiality: one has to overcome adversity and reach a happy, satisfactory conclusion. Although writing about adversity can aid in the healing process, it can also lead students to relive their trauma and be pressured to repress any negative emotions in their personal statements.” (Chang, 2023)