My daughter Sandra has been working with Quad since she was in grade 9. Like any parent, we've always wanted the best for her, and I felt like her high school guidance counselor just didn't have the bandwidth to cater to her needs and those of 1,000+ other students. At first, I wasn't sure if pairing her with any kind of mentor would be worth it, but I know from experience that the period between grade 9 and 12 can FLY. I just wanted her to have the confidence to try new things and do everything she could to put herself in good standing later.
From the moment we began working with Josef, I knew her future would be in good hands. He is a ray of sunshine and such an inspiring man to talk to. It took her a few sessions to really open up, but soon she was bouncing ideas off him for what she could do next. He emphasized that the college profile development program at her age is mostly about extracurricular and academic exploration, and that's precisely what he helped her do.
My daughter tried many things--some she didn't love so much (singing in the choir, despite her interest in music, wasn't something she enjoyed all that much), and some she loved so much she was certain she wanted to make a career out of it in the future. Josef helped her prepare for her very first Model UN conference, and they reviewed her Position Paper together!! She loved the first one so much, she immediately wanted to start getting ready for the next one when she came home, and that's when we realized we may have a future politician, lawyer, or policy maker on our hands.
Josef helped her choose courses and look for external academic opportunities, too. For instance, when she was in grade 11, we applied for a few summer programs local to us, and she got into the Boston Leadership Institute!
Everything Quad did helped further her journey. Now, four years later, I've seen her off to Stanford University--she may be across the country, but my love for her could reach every continent. Thank you so much to Josef and the Quad team for everything you've done for a once-skeptical parent and a young girl with big dreams!