EHS Alumni & Friends Tutoring Center News
Alumni & Friends Tutoring Center Hosts Panel Discussion on The College Transition
From left: Parker Reinke, Annya Mella ’24 and Maleek Haley ’24
Recently, the EHS Alumni & Friends Tutoring Center (AFTC), which is funded by the EHSA, hosted a lively panel discussion focused on the transition from high school to college. The discussion, organized by AFTC Director Sage Marsters and Reading Specialist Olivia Meegoda, brought back recent alumni and EHSA Scholarship recipients Maleek Haley ’24 and Annya Mella Vargas ’24, who were joined by Americorps Program College Advisor Parker Reinke.
Last year, in 2024, Maleek was selected to received the Stella and Emmanuel Mavridis Scholarship and Annya Mella was the first recipient of the Cullen Family Scholarship.
Annya, Maleek and Mr. Reinke generously shared some of their hurdles and successes in navigating their first years of college. Current seniors asked questions about dining hall food, as well as dorm life, class size, college schedules and extracurricular opportunities. In response, the panel shared invaluable and honest advice, ranging through topics such as not spending all your food allowance at once, using college Tutoring Centers and other support services, the value of engaging with professors during office hours, the importance of reading syllabi and planning ahead, and how to manage new college opportunities while finding a work-life balance.
The overall message presented to current students was that though the first year of college is challenging and sometimes lonely, there is support available, and with effort, patience and flexibility, college life becomes fulfilling and even fun. Our young alumni, Maleek, who now attends New England College, and Annya, attending Bunker Hill Community College, were truly impressive in their eloquence, empathy and wisdom. The AFTC hopes to hold a second panel in the spring.
