Another col
lege application season is around the corner\, and stress is already begin
ning to ratchet up for teens and their parents. You&rsquo\;re invited to j
oin us for this must-watch talk by Irena Smith\, PhD. You will hear about
constructive and healthy ways to approach the college application process\
, preserve your relationship with your teen\, and help them define success
on their terms instead of chasing the elusive &ldquo\;golden ticket.&rdqu
o\;
Irena is a former Stanford Admissions Officer who has spent 18 years advising accomplished\, tightly-wound students in Palo Alto and aro und the world. She saw firsthand the extreme measures parents took to help their children gain admission to highly selective colleges and the toll i t took on the children as well as on their parents.
\nAt the same ti me\, Irena&rsquo\;s own children struggled with developmental delays\, lea rning differences\, severe depression\, and anxiety. She kept her double l ife&mdash\;successful college counselor at work\, anxious mom at home&mdas h\;tightly under wraps for years until a stunning realization: she was exa ctly like the anxious parents of the students she worked with\, all of who m were equally terrified about their children's future. Irena&rsquo\;s mem oir\, The Golden Ticket: A Life in College Admissions Essays\, wh ich candidly explores her personal as well as professional life\, was publ ished in 2023\, and she has since devoted her time to speaking out about h ard things: the heavy burden of generational expectations\, teen and young adult mental health\, and the importance of embracing a broader\, more ge nerous vision of what it means to succeed. To learn more about Irena&rsquo \;s personal experience as a parent\, professional experience as a college admissions officer\, and leave with tips on how to help your child approa ch the application process in practical\, healthy ways&ndash\;register now !
\nIrena Smith is an author\, former Sta nford admissions officer\, independent college counselor\, and mother of t hree extraordinary children. She emigrated from the former Soviet Union wi th her parents when she was nine years old. In spite of her fierce insiste nce that she would never\, not ever\, learn English\, she went on to earn a BA in English and then a PhD in Comparative Literature (both from UCLA\, where she received a Distinguished Teaching Assistant Award and Dissertat ion Year Fellowship). Irena taught literature and composition at UCLA and Stanford before transitioning to college admissions\, college advising\, a nd writing. Her recently published memoir\, The Golden Ticket: A Life in College Admissions Essays is the winner of the Story Circle Networ k's Gilda Award\, named in honor of comedian Gilda Radner to recognize hon est\, authentic writing that "makes us laugh even when we want to cry." It 's been described by Forbes as &ldquo\;captivating and smart&hell ip\; a potential antidote to the fevered belief that being admitted to an elite college will spell the difference between a successful life vs. a do omed future.&rdquo\;
\nBrought to you in partnership wit h the Library Speakers Consortium. Visit our site to see all events\, register and explore recordings of past events.< /p>\nhttps://westlakelibrary.libnet.info/event/10857337 URL;VALUE=URI:https://westlakelibrary.libnet.info/event/10857337 ATTACH:https://static.libnet.info/images/events/westlakelibrary/Virtual-Au thor_Irena-Smith.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR