May 19, 2020
On Thursday, May 14, 2020, American Baptist Women’s Ministries (ABWM) hosted a Courageous Conversation with High School Counselors and College Admissions Professionals. The webinar aimed to ease fears and inform high school students, incoming college students, and parents of how COVID-19 may impact their future.
During the conversation, students were relieved to hear that colleges and universities are working hard to accommodate student’s needs. High schools, universities, and colleges recognize that this is a unique moment in history and are carefully evaluating COVID-19’s impact on students, faculty, and their families, domestically and internationally. Transitioning to online learning and being socially distant from friends has been challenging for many students. Parents and community members were encouraged to continue to provide mental health resources for teenagers and young adults.
"The panel helped us understand how universities and colleges are responding to COVID-19 for the upcoming class of 2020 and the class of 2021. They also noted, the world has changed, and this generation of students will have new experiences connected to a global pandemic. Therefore, the academic community will need to engage them differently,” said Rev. Dr. Gina Jacobs-Strain, executive director of ABWM.
Panelists included Rohan Pessoa, School Counselor at City Polytechnic High School for Engineering Architecture and Technology, Brooklyn, NY; Ashley Pallie, Director of Recruitment at Pomona College, Claremont, CA; Jeff Grant, Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ; Dayna Hassell, Regional representative for NJ for the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; Rev. Kevin White, Institutional Director of Admissions at Nyack College|Alliance Theological Seminary, New York, NY. American Baptist Women’s Ministries is excited to continue providing public resources during the unprecedented COVID-19 and beyond. To support ABWM in COVID-19 relief and restoration efforts, visit
www.abwomensministries.org/ResetandReimagine.
To view the webinar recording of Courageous Conversation with chaplains webinar visit www.abwomensministries.org/webinars. The next Courageous Conversation will be Thursday, May 28th, at 7:00pmEST. American Baptist Women’s Ministries (ABWM) wants to help you get and stay financially well amid COVID-19. Inarguably, money is one of the top stressors people face. A pandemic only exacerbates the stress. Come and learn from financial experts from the Ministers and Missionaries Benefit Board, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s, Your Money, Your Goals Program (YMYG). Hear a firsthand testimonial from a YMYG program participant.
American Baptist Women’s Ministries (ABWM) is a diverse community of American Baptist women and girls serving in ministry in Christ’s name in the US including Puerto Rico as well as internationally. With local, area, region/state, and national levels of ministry, American Baptist Women’s Ministries creates and sustains communities of passionately faithful, mission-minded women and girls engaged in worship, service, and friendship. Ministries include domestic violence and sex trafficking prevention and education, building beloved community, and developing leaders. To learn more about American Baptist Women’s Ministries, visit www.abwomensministries.org.