By Kathyrn Cross
Staff Writer
With recent school shooting across the nation, local parents searched for a method of diminishing the risky perils of college. One Manhattan Beach parent, Kristin Borostyan believes she has found the answer.
Borostyan hosted her first webinar, or online seminar, about college safety on May 29. Through multiple referrals and the publication of the event through her own online educational academy, Real College Knowledge, Borostyan was able to reach approximately 25 concerned parents and safely advise them on how to prepare their children for the transition between high school and college.
“Safety has always been a part of my Real College Knowledge plan,” Borostyan said. “I felt that it was important to talk about and prepare for things that might happen because it brings stress levels down.”
Since founding her college counseling school in 2011, Borostyan has built several programs geared towards planning ahead for the transition to college. These programs are aimed towards anyone planning on attending a public or private university after high school.
“I like to start talking with sophomore parents so I can get them involved,” Borostyan said. “Then by the time it’s April, May, June, I start having these workshops for parents and kids to prepare them.”
Some of these workshops include a girls-only program called Stiletto Advantage, which addresses skills needed for a successful transition to college as well as the modern-day campus safety issue.
“We discuss personal safety and intuition, and I teach them five self-defense moves so [the students] can be confident when they go off to college,” Borostyan said.
Borostyan has also been hosting student and parent webinars. Her two other webinars are called “Playing the College Admission Game” and “Straight talk”. “Playing the College Admission Game” is geared toward parents on what to expect as their child gets prepared for college. “Straight talk” addresses the key things students should be doing to be ready for college applications their senior year.
“I have a daughter who is a junior at University of Maryland,” Borostyan said. “When she was getting ready to transition to college, I was looking for a program like I have now and I couldn’t find it. I ended up creating these programs with kids and their parents to give them an overview of what’s to come in the next couple of years.”
Borostyan aspires to help hopeful college students keep track of volunteer efforts, letters of recommendation, and time management. She also aspires to expand Real College Knowledge to be a national academy and include members from all over the United States.
“I’m very proud of her and all the work she has put into her comany,” Borostyan’s daughter junior Mehanna Borostyan said. “I definitely aspire to have her determinatio and drive throughout my life.”
Leave a Reply