Programming with a Purpose!
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According to a US News report, the national average for freshman retention is 78%. What if that average could shift upward dramatically? Guess what – it can!
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Students change schools or leave college for a variety of reasons, some of which are unavoidable. Nonetheless, retention is congruent with increases in interest and engagement.
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Passion is the driving force behind building an upward trend in retention.
Describe your image
Why Passion is Lacking
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Most traditional students enter college with little to no real-life experience. They can only draw upon the limited exposure they’ve had in their past. This exposure usually comes through professionals in their immediate family or in their family’s circle of friends. To add to their confusion, the teen years are fraught with advice, both solicited and unsolicited.
Students are expected to know what they want to be long before they grace the doors of your university. This early decision-making is inconsistent with the development of the brain. This is why so many students lose focus or lack passion as they progress through their degrees. But, it doesn’t have to be that way.
There is hope!
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Passion is something that can be found and cultivated in today’s colleges. It takes education, exposure, and empowerment. Judy Gaman can help your students find their passion through programs that target every stage in the learning process.
“Finding and Cultivating Passion” Target: orientation. (Education)
How can we expect students to find their passion if they don’t understand the difference between passion and joy?
This lecture teaches students how to develop their own sense of self and build upon it. Leaving students with a desire to own their education and their future.
“They Did What With Their Degree?” Target: all stages (Exposure)
This panel discussion utilizes high-profile professionals who are using their degrees in unique ways. Judy will work closely with your college to identify panel members and facilitate the discussion. Students will develop a sense of the future and be re-energized to finish their degrees.
“The Uncommon Class” Target: all stages (Exposure & Education)
Some of the greatest minds of all time were well-rounded, dabbling in a bit of everything. Finding experiences and educational opportunities outside of their major, students will discover what they like, and just as important, what they don’t like.
Science students are encouraged to take a class in the arts. Art students are encouraged to take classes in debate, and business majors to take a music theory class. Students will develop a sense of curiosity about what else your university has to offer.
“In Search of Passion” classes for undecided students. (Education)
Undecided students can often feel lost or like giving up. This lecture is designed to energize these students and offer them ways to discover their own passion. Using real-life stories that inspire, students will know that they are not alone and that there is a bright future ahead.
“Live the Dream” keynote for graduating seniors. (Empowerment)
It’s time to change the narrative for graduating seniors. This keynote address is designed to inspire your graduates to invent their future. By thinking outside the box, degrees can be the springboard to a wealth of new opportunities, perhaps many they have never even imagined. Graduates are encouraged to embrace what makes them unique and use it to their advantage. It’s time to live the dream!
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Judy Gaman, MS, BSHS a graduate of George Washington University. She is an award-winning author and speaker who shares her message of finding and developing passion with students at all stages, from orientation to graduation. When not speaking on a stage, she can be heard across the country on the nationally syndicated Staying Young Show.