Senior Seminar in Madison
The seniors (Grade 12 students) in the Residential Program gathered in Madison for the annual full-day college readiness seminar, aimed at helping them prepare for life after high school and step into their new identities as college students.
Life coach Emily Krill led a StrengthsFinder workshop, guiding students through discovering their personal strengths and reflecting on how those qualities can shape their academic and personal futures. Other sessions covered mental health in college, including burnout and imposter syndrome, with a professional mental health counselor. Session leaders also shared practical guidance on communicating with professors and balancing both academic expectations and peer relationships in university institutions.
This year's seminar also featured three WLHS alumni who were standout students during their time at Wisco and have gone on to be exactly the kind of role models current students need. They spoke honestly about college life and shared relatable advice. Among them was Cat Chan Chu from Vietnam, WLHS class of 2020, who is now a graduate student in the neuroscience program at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
For the first time at this seminar, students from two other high school international student programs joined the event, giving the WLHS students a chance to connect with others who have shared a similar experience and are about to go through the same transition.
For the first time at this seminar, students from two other high school international student programs joined the event, giving the WLHS students a chance to connect with others who have shared a similar experience and are about to go through the same transition.
After the formal programming concluded, the WLHS seniors enjoyed recreational time on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus, visiting the Student Union and exploring State Street. They left with new ideas to contemplate and a clearer sense of how to prepare for the exciting next step in their academic and life journey.
