By Michael F. Baber
As the final school bell rings and seniors don their caps and gowns, students across the country stand at the threshold of a new beginning. With college acceptance letters in hand, they are ready to launch—eager to explore new cities, tackle fresh challenges, and pursue dreams that began to take shape during high school. High school, at its finest, is not a stepping stone to college—it is an experience that has the power to change one’s life, building confidence, expanding horizons, and generating a sense of purpose and direction.
At Sacred Heart Greenwich, that process is intentional and individualized. Keeping in mind its mission to educate the whole child—intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, and physically—the school is a place where girls are taught to think deeply, lead boldly, and grow authentically. Learning shouldn’t be a checklist of requirements but an exploration of becoming who you are and what you can be in a dynamic world. Students must be challenged to explore widely and dive into areas of interest, starting a social impact project, doing independent research, performing in the arts, or competing at the highest levels of athletics.
That’s why we believe that while the heart of college counseling begins in earnest as a junior, freshmen, and sophomores can benefit from broader, softer conversations that fuel the fires of curiosity, character, and purpose within each young learner. Early exposure doesn’t mean pressure; it means helping students begin to understand themselves as learners and as people, so that decisions made later come from a place of clarity.
In the first year of high school, students benefit from understanding how their academic and extracurricular choices can shape future opportunities. Conversations might begin with basic tools such as creating a College Board account and making important connections to their community as they build their high school experience. By the sophomore year, students should be building on these foundations: extending beyond the classroom, seeking leadership positions, and finding disciplines or issues in which they want to delve deeper.
Junior year is when students are ready to take ownership of their path, whether writing their first personal statement, discovering schools of academic alignment, or determining mentors who can address their growth. It’s not about being ready to apply—it’s being ready to make a thoughtful, informed decision that is aligned with what they value and seek to study. By senior year, it’s all about putting things into practice, but also about reflection.
As graduation season begins nationwide, it is important to remember that the success of the Class of 2025 is not measured by a matriculation list but by the fortitude of the foundational learning that propelled each applicant’s process.
When students are truly known, challenged, and well supported, they don’t just attend college—they thrive there. And when that happens, the future isn’t just promising. It’s limitless.
Michael F. Baber, President of Sacred Heart Greenwich has more than two decades of Sacred Heart education. A distinguished educator, he has been recognized with prestigious honors including the Edward E. Ford Fellowship in 2005. Mr. Baber has a B.A. in Philosophy from St. Charles Seminary and a Master’s degree from Sacred Heart University.
