Another college application season is arou nd the corner\, and stress is already beginning to ratchet up for teens an d their parents. You&rsquo\;re invited to join us for this must-watch talk by Irena Smith\, PhD. You will hear about constructive and healthy ways t o approach the college application process\, preserve your relationship wi th your teen\, and help them define success on their terms instead of chas ing the elusive &ldquo\;golden ticket.&rdquo\;
\nIrena is a former S tanford Admissions Officer who has spent 18 years advising accomplished\, tightly-wound students in Palo Alto and around the world. She saw firsthan d the extreme measures parents took to help their children gain admission to highly selective colleges and the toll it took on the children as well as on their parents.
\nAt the same time\, Irena&rsquo\;s own childre n struggled with developmental delays\, learning differences\, severe depr ession\, and anxiety. She kept her double life&mdash\;successful college c ounselor at work\, anxious mom at home&mdash\;tightly under wraps for year s until a stunning realization: she was exactly like the anxious parents o f the students she worked with\, all of whom were equally terrified about& nbsp\;their \;children's future. Irena&rsquo\;s memoir\, \;The Gol den Ticket: A Life in College Admissions Essays\, which candidly explores her personal as well as professional life\, was published in 2023\, and sh e has since devoted her time to speaking out about hard things: the heavy burden of generational expectations\, teen and young adult mental health\, and the importance of embracing a broader\, more generous vision of what it means to succeed. To learn more about Irena&rsquo\;s personal experienc e as a parent\, professional experience as a college admissions officer\, and leave with tips on how to help your child approach the application pro cess in practical\, healthy ways&ndash\;register now!
\nAbout the Au thor: \;Irena Smith is an author\, former Stanford admissions officer\ , independent college counselor\, and mother of three extraordinary childr en. She emigrated from the former Soviet Union with her parents when she w as nine years old. In spite of her fierce insistence 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 Dis tinguished Teaching Assistant Award and Dissertation Year Fellowship). Ire na taught literature and composition at UCLA and Stanford before transitio ning to college admissions\, college advising\, and writing. Her recently published memoir\, \;The Golden Ticket: A Life in College Admissions E ssays \;is the winner of the Story Circle Network's Gilda Award\, name d in honor of comedian Gilda Radner to recognize honest\, authentic writin g that "makes us laugh even when we want to cry." It's been described by F orbes as &ldquo\;captivating and smart&hellip\; a potential antidote to th e fevered belief that being admitted to an elite college will spell the di fference between a successful life vs. a doomed future.&rdquo\; She has gi ven a TEDx talk on humanizing the college application process and writes a bout parenting\, college admissions\, and redefining success in her weekly Substack newsletter\, \;The Golden Ticket (is not what you think).&nb sp\;You can also find her on Substack at \;Personal Statements.
\n< p>Free access to The Steve Redan Memorial Author Series is made possible t hrough the support and generosity of the Redan family.\nRegister on line or by calling the library at (973) 584-2400.
\nhttps://roxburylibr ary.libnet.info/event/11510676 URL;VALUE=URI:https://roxburylibrary.libnet.info/event/11510676 ATTACH:https://static.libnet.info/images/events/roxburylibrary/smithgolden ticket.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR