Saint Mary’s Pre-College Programs Allow Students to Discover Their Strengths

It’s that time of year when high school students may start to feel the pressure of the question, “What do I want to do in college?” It can be a tough decision, especially if students are unsure where their strengths lie and how to apply them to a future career. To help alleviate some of that stress for students, Saint Mary’s College has developed four pre-college programs that give rising 9th- through 12th-grade young women the opportunity to explore a possible career path and hone in on their interests. 

 

Within the week-long pre-college programs, participants explore careers in healthcare, forensic science, business and marketing, or sustainable living. These overnight programs take students through a variety of academic and experiential learning opportunities. They spend the week living in the College’s residence halls, eating in the dining hall, and meeting others who share common interests. 

 

This year, participants will be able to explore their careers more deeply through a specialized tool typically reserved for Saint Mary’s college students.

 

Saint Mary’s Summer Camps and Pre-College Programs first administered the CliftonStrengths assessment in 2023, thanks to the resources that a grant from Lilly Endowment, Inc. provided to help elevate the summer institute experience and instill a college-going mindset. Unlike traditional career assessments that suggest specific job matches, CliftonStrengths helps individuals understand how their unique strengths influence their success in any career path.

 

The CliftonStrengths assessment identifies an individual's top strengths across 34 talent themes, focusing on what they naturally do best rather than weaknesses, explains Stacie Jeffirs, director of the Career Crossings Office at Saint Mary’s, who has used this tool with Saint Mary's students for over 14 years. Jeffirs said camp participants take the assessment before they arrive on campus. She then administers an interactive workshop involving educational and engaging exercises so students learn more about the strengths presented in the assessment. 

 

Last summer, participants in the Healthcare Summer Institute and the Business and Marketing Summer Institute took the assessment. This summer, Jeffirs will administer the assessment to the Sustainable Living Summer Institute as well. Her hope is that by next year, all four pre-college programs will offer CliftonStrengths.

 

The assessment covers themes such as relationship-building, influencing, and strategic thinking. Students who have taken the assessment say it helps them make informed decisions not only in their academic and career lives, like taking classes that highlight those strengths, but also in their personal lives. 

 

Jeffirs highlights that the key is self-awareness. With better self-awareness, students can see where their strengths lie and how to apply them, allowing them to hone in on these strengths in areas such as relationships and extracurriculars. The assessment frames strengths in a way that speaks to what future employers and colleges seek, such as professionalism, teamwork, and critical thinking skills. 

 

Jeffirs emphasizes the commitment of the summer institute programming to ensure participants receive top-notch education while finding a sense of belonging. “These week-long summer programs give a glimpse of what life is like for Saint Mary's students,” she said. “We are committed to giving women and girls access to education at every stage of life. Our summer programs can show them what is available to them here.”

 

Click here to learn more about pre-college programming at Saint Mary’s. 

 

April 4, 2025