CMC Parent News - Winter 2022
In this issue:
Family Weekend 2022
Supporting Students for Summer Internships
CMC's Research Institutes: Enhancing the Student Experience
College Parenting: Mission Accomplished
Crianza de Hijos Universitarios: Misión Cumplida
Commencement 2022 : A Guide for Parents
Our Students Are Ready!

Family Weekend 2022: Join the Celebration!

CMC Family Weekend is almost here! Taking advantage of Claremont’s “winter” climate, Family Weekend 2022 provides the opportunity to connect with esteemed faculty, students, and fellow CMC parents in an entirely new outdoor format. Thank you to the Parent Network Board Vice Presidents of Programs, Allison Aldrich P’24, Suzanne Wallace P’23, and the entire Programs Committee for their help and input. There really is something for everyone!

Although Family Weekend is a wonderful time to spend time with your student as well, we suggest that you check with them regarding their class and study schedule and general availability.

Here are some events not to be missed:

  • Faculty in Action: The Role of Computing and Data Science in the Liberal Arts with Professor Ran Libeskind-Hadas
    Saturday, 9:30 a.m., Event Pavilion, Parents Field
    Professor Libeskind-Hadas will explore and describe how computation and data science are central to CMC’s new Integrated Sciences Program as well as how it will affect all students, no matter their major. 
  • My Transformative CMC Moment
    Sunday, 1:30 p.m., Athena Pavilion, Parents Field
    Don’t miss this opportunity to join six CMC students and alumni for these short and impactful TEDx style presentations. Hear about the pivotal moments of their CMC journeys and how they changed the way they lived, learned, worked, or pursued their degrees at the College.
  • CMC: A History with John Faranda ’79, Ambassador-at-Large
    Sunday, 2:45 p.m. Meet at the Event Pavilion, Parents Field
    Join this special walking tour of CMC’s historic and unique locations, including our incredible new art installations. Get ready to ask John your behind-the-scenes questions about how a building was named or why there is a plaque under your favorite campus tree! 

For a full schedule, please visit the Family Weekend website.

Would you like to register? Visit the Family Weekend registration page. Please note that registration will close on Monday, February 14 and walk-up registrations will not be available this year.

In order to maintain the safety of our community and our guests, CMC will adhere to the following COVID-19 safety measures:

  • Visitors are required to be fully vaccinated and have a negative test no more than 72 hours before arrival. 
  • N95, KN95, KF94, or surgical masks must be worn when not actively eating or drinking.
  • Indoor spaces, including Residence Halls, will be closed to visitors.

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Supporting Students for Summer Internships
By Steve Kapner P'22

Last fall I wrote about seniors looking for full-time work. Now, let’s talk about freshmen, sophomores, and juniors looking for summer internships.

SPONSORED INTERNSHIPS AND EXPERIENCES (SIE)

One of the real gems of CMC career support is the Soll Center’s Sponsored Internships and Experiences (SIE) program. If students want to pursue unpaid or low paid work for the summer, they can apply, and if approved, get funding from CMC! This can be for traditional internships PLUS research, social impact work, and even creative media projects. Funding can be for remote, domestic, and certain international locations. 

From a parent perspective, this program is awesome. Three years ago, my daughter received funding to travel to Washington, D.C. and across Poland to compare Holocaust museums and memorials in the U.S. versus Eastern Europe. She continued to work with a professor on that topic, and now this has turned into her year-long senior thesis!

Key dates and how to apply:

  • The application portal will open on Monday, February 14, 2022 and will close in mid-May 2022, with funding granted on a rolling basis as opportunities are confirmed.
  • The program is targeted especially for first-years and sophomores, so if that’s your student, be sure to let them know.
  • To apply, your student will need to create a budget of expected costs—a valuable life skill in and of itself! And of course, CMC helps with that too (see here).

FINDING AN INTERNSHIP

The largest and most often used resource is Handshake, a job posting platform and portal used by pretty much every college. CMC also offers an Internship Database which is a searchable database of every internship conducted by CMC students since 2013. Students can use multiple filters to see the many varied internship positions that SIE students have held in the past. They can access the database via Handshake Resources. The SIE program website also highlights a number of unique opportunities that are funded by CMC research institutes and generous donors. Those unique opportunities are available here.

NETWORKING RESOURCES

That said, 85% of students find their internship through networking! Your student can start by networking with alumni and parents.

Students Networking with Alumni 

Fun fact: Claremont alumni companies employ over 130,000 people. But where does your student start? The answer is…the Soll Center for Student Opportunity! Let your student know that the Soll Center can run reports from LinkedIn to identify CMC alumni in your student’s areas of interest, and that’s a list your student can start calling. And of course, the Soll Center will help your student with how to network, including the all-important informational interview.

There are other ways to tap into alumni. For instance, a CMC alum writes a blog, Between the Lines, that highlights the Claremont Colleges’ entrepreneurship and technology community, so your student can learn about and reach out to alumni directly that way too.

Students Networking with Parents

In some ways, parents might be an even better resource, especially because of how helpful we want to be! To that end, the Soll Center is launching the “I’m Ready” campaign, where students will call parents to network, get introductions, and ask about internship opportunities. (Parents: You should have received an email recently about this called “Our CMC Students Are Ready.”)

At the upcoming Family Weekend, on Saturday, February 19 at 1:00 p.m., there will be Career Discovery Hour, a fun workshop where students will develop their personal narrative, practice telling THEIR best story, and build their confidence in telling that story. For the last half hour, students will practice what they learned by role-playing with parents. And though this is practice, students might even get a real internship out of this, or maybe at least a lead that could turn into one! Let us now you'll be attending this session by signing up here. 

HOW YOU CAN HELP!

  • Participate in the I’m Ready campaign. Student calls to parents will be made in February. Be on the lookout for an email or call to ask you to participate. Even if your organization doesn’t have internships, this will give students a chance to practice potential employer engagement.
  • Join the Career Workshop with your student if you are attending Family Weekend. Or if not, ask your student to attend—and bring friends!
  • Post internships or job openings here if your organization has such opportunities. For questions or ideas, please reach out to Charlene Kile at ckile@cmc.edu or 909-607-7378.
  • Consider joining the Parent Network Board’s Careers Committee if you want to be even more involved. If interested, contact the Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement at parents@cmc.edu or 909-621-8097.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

SEE PAST CAREER SERVICES ARTICLES

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CMC’s Research Institutes: Enhancing the Student Experience 
By Samyuktha Narayan P'25 and Marisol Rivera Thurman P'24

What distinguishes a top liberal arts college like Claremont McKenna from other institutions is the selection of extraordinary offerings for students beyond the classroom. It’s true that many premier institutions generally have “signature programs,” such as CMC’s Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum. CMC, however, also makes available to its students eleven Research Institutes, each offering an enriching and potentially transformative experience, as well as an excellent opportunity to foster important new relationships. 

To truly capitalize on the CMC college experience, we encourage you to familiarize yourself with these Institutes, and to encourage your student to take advantage of this exceptional resource. To help in this regard, four CMC students have volunteered to talk about their experience with their Institute of choice. 

We hope you and your CMC student will enjoy this four-minute video and be inspired to learn more.

Hear Sydney Heath '21 speak about the Mgrublian Center, Will Thurman '24 on the Randall Lewis Center for Innovation, Emily Malech '22 on Kravis Leadership Institute, and Katherine Jackson '25 on the Rose Institute for Local Government. For more information on CMC’s Institutes, please visit the Institute website.

Hear from our students here!

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College Parenting: Mission Accomplished
By Marisol Rivera Thurman P’24

It is no accident that the phase when our children transition into the world as young adults is called “launching.” As a therapist and mother of three, I have witnessed how this developmental phase can be fraught with challenges. 

Launching a rocket successfully requires many different elements to work together well, and failure in one can create delays and failed attempts.  In a family’s case, both the student and the parents have a role to play for a successful launch: the student must have a sturdy launching pad that falls away, then self propulsion to break through the atmosphere, and a great “mission central” team of technical advisors guiding the way. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has added some challenges and variables to the launching process: Some students launched prematurely into full off-campus living, bypassing the dormitory training ground, while others stayed at home with a variety of results. Mental health struggles have increased dramatically for college students all over the country. As parents, we have had to be flexible and creative, learning how to best parent in these uncertain times. 

I reached out to two of our CMC “technical advisors” to ask for parenting tips for this upcoming semester:  Dianna Graves '98, Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students, and Jess Neilson, Assistant Dean of Student Health, Wellness and Case Management. Not surprisingly, they were both very clear and aligned on the objectives for CMC students, and the important role that parents can play. As a reference point, Dean Graves shared an impressive paper “A CMC Well-Being Framework” that informs the strategies and services CMC offers to help students successfully navigate their college years. 

Here’s an excerpt: 

“If we can build supports, resources, and programming that support and challenge students to eventual self-authorship, then they will have the capacity to choose their own values and develop a healthy sense of self and what it means to be well that is not susceptible to external pressures and the need for the approval of others.”

The basic objective is a term called “self-authorship.”

Jess Neilson put it simply when it comes to our role as parents “I really appreciate when families do with rather than do for their students.” In her role, Jess sometimes works with students who have difficulty seeing how they’ll make it through the next week- let alone the next four years. Her greatest joy is seeing them graduate after they have tapped into strengths and abilities they did not know they had, mission accomplished. 

For us parents, here are some tips from mission central:

  • Stay calm when you first feel the separation from the launching pad- it can be smooth or very bumpy- but resist the urge to hold the rocket back.
  • Trust that your student has the ability to figure things out- with the gentle guidance from mission control.
  • Familiarize yourself with the resources available so that, if they hit some obstacles, you may guide the student in the right direction. Students are bombarded with so much information that highlighting a resource can be appreciated.
  • Ultimately know that while you will always be an important person in mission central, there are now also many other caring and capable partners in your student’s journey. 

Here are some resources available to your student:

Student Support  |  Academic Sucess  |  Center for Writingand Public Discourse  |  QCL

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Crianza de Hijos Universitarios: Misión Cumplida
Por Marisol Rivera Thurman P'24 | Traducido por Carmen Amaya P'25

No es casualidad que la fase de transición de nuestros hijos al mundo como jóvenes adultos se llame "lanzamiento". Como terapeuta y madre de tres hijos, he sido testigo de cómo esta fase de desarrollo puede estar llena de desafíos.  

Lanzar un cohete con éxito requiere que muchos elementos diferentes funcionen bien juntos, y el fracaso de uno puede generar retrasos e intentos fallidos. En el caso de una familia, tanto el estudiante como los padres tienen un papel que desempeñar para un lanzamiento exitoso: el estudiante debe contar con una plataforma de lanzamiento robusta que se desprenda, luego con autopropulsión para atravesar la atmósfera, y con un gran equipo de asesores técnicos en el “centro de control” que guíen el camino.  

La pandemia de COVID-19 ha añadido algunos retos y variables al proceso de lanzamiento: Algunos estudiantes se lanzaron prematuramente a vivir completamente fuera del campus, eludiendo el entrenamieto de vida en los dormitorios, mientras que otros se quedaron en casa con diversos resultados. Los problemas de salud mental han aumentado drásticamente para los estudiantes universitarios, y CMC no es una excepción. Como padres, hemos tenido que ser flexibles y creativos, aprendiendo a ser los mejores padres en estos tiempos inciertos. 

Me puse en contacto con dos de nuestros "asesores técnicos" de CMC para pedirles consejos de crianza para este próximo semestre:  Dianna Graves '98, vicepresidenta Adjunta y Decana de Estudiantes, y Jess Neilson, Decana Adjunta de Salud Mental y de Casos. No es de extrañar que ambas fueran muy claras y estuvieran alineadas con los objetivos de los estudiantes de CMC, y con el importante papel que pueden desempeñar los padres. Como punto de referencia, la decana Graves compartió un impresionante documento "A CMC Well-Being Framework" que informa de las estrategias y servicios que CMC ofrece para ayudar a los estudiantes a navegar con éxito sus años universitarios.  

He aquí un extracto: 

"Si podemos construir recursos y programas que apoyen y desafíen a los estudiantes a ser eventualmente autores de sí mismos, entonces tendrán la capacidad de elegir sus propios valores y desarrollar un sentido saludable de sí mismos y de lo que significa estar bien, y que no sean susceptible a las presiones externas y a la necesidad de la aprobación de los demás."

El objetivo básico es un término llamado "autoría propia". Jess Neilson lo expresó de forma sencilla cuando se trata de nuestro papel como padres: "Realmente aprecio cuando las familias hacen con sus estudiantes en lugar de hacerlo por ellos". En su función, Jess trabaja a veces con estudiantes que tienen dificultades para ver cómo van a pasar la próxima semana, - mucho menos los próximos cuatro años. Su mayor alegría es verlos graduarse después de haber aprovechado las fortalezas y las habilidades que no sabían que tenían, misión cumplida. 

Para nosotros, los padres, he aquí algunos consejos de el “centro de control” de CMC:

  • Mantengan la calma cuando sientan por primera vez la separación de la plataforma de lanzamiento -puede ser suave o muy accidentada- pero resistan el impulso de retener el cohete.
  • Confíe en que su estudiante tiene la capacidad de resolver las cosas, con el amable apoyo de los “asesores técnicos” de CMC.
  • Familiarícese con los recursos disponibles para que, si encuentran algún obstáculo, puedan guiar a su estudiante en la dirección correcta; los estudiantes son bombardeados con tanta información que destacar un recurso puede ser apreciado.
  • En última instancia, sepa que usted siempre será una persona importante en el “centro de control” de la misión de su hijo/a,  pero ahora también hay muchos otros socios atentos y capaces de guiar en el viaje de su estudiante.

Estos son algunos de los recursos disponibles para su estudiante:

Student Support  |  Academic Success  |  Center for Writing and Public Discourse  |  QCL

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Commencement 2022: A Guide for Parents
Jay Cohen P’23

This article is intended for parents of students graduating in 2022 (as in, this year)! I can guess what many of you are thinking, “Graduation? From college? Didn’t she just start her college career? Didn’t he just graduate high school? Didn’t she just get her braces off yesterday? Didn’t he just have his Bar Mitzvah?” 

Four years goes by incredibly fast, especially from a parent’s perspective. Having a pandemic wreak havoc with the academic calendar did not help. Still, we are just months away from commencement and we thought it might be helpful to provide you with some early information on this important event so you know what to expect.

Date of Commencement
The 75th annual commencement ceremony for the Class of ’22 will take place on Saturday, May 14, 2022, at 2:00 p.m.
 
Some Key Events Surrounding Graduation Weekend
•    Friday, May 13, 9:00 a.m. - Commencement Rehearsal and Cap and Gown Distribution 
•    Friday, May 13, 4:30 – 6:00 p.m. - Reception for Graduates, Families, and Friends
•    Saturday, May 14, 12:00 p.m. - Gates Open for Ceremony Seating
•    Saturday, May 14, 2:00 p.m. – Commencement Ceremony
•    Saturday, May 14, 4:00 p.m. – Reception for Graduates, Family, and Friends
 
Important Reminders for Your Students
Complete all checklist items noted in the graduation portal. The Dean of Students Office will contact the students directly with the link and instructions in February. 
 
Location for Commencement
Pritzlaff Field on CMC's Campus 
 
Possible Covid Impact
As CMC proceeds with preparations, the College will continue to monitor the public health conditions in Claremont and around the globe. The planning for Commencement events will continue to align with College policy, as outlined on CMC Returns,  and county and state health and safety guidelines in order to provide our graduates, family members, and friends with a healthy and enjoyable celebration. 
 
What to Expect for the Ceremony
All family and friends are welcome to attend. There are no tickets issued. The commencement ceremony is normally two hours and will include a presentation by the commencement speaker and the awarding of degrees.

Make Hotel/Restaurant Reservations
CMC encourages families and friends to make plans ASAP if you have not already. Information regarding local accommodations can be found on the website.  You are strongly encouraged to plan ahead and make reservations at local restaurants for individual graduation celebrations and meals during the commencement weekend. 
 
Live-stream Will be Available 
The Commencement Ceremony will be live-streamed on the CMC website.
 
Photos Will Be Taken
CMC has contracted for individual photos of each graduate receiving a diploma during the ceremony. A link containing these images will be sent to you and your student via email one week following the ceremony.
 
Where Can you Find Information?
Commencement 2022 
 
Expect More Details
A letter will be sent in the coming weeks from Dean of the Faculty, Heather Antecol, with additional information and important links. The Commencement website will continue to be updated throughout the spring as new information becomes available.

Congratulations to the Class of 2022!

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Our Students Are Ready!

Parents, do you have job opportunities or summer internships to offer our CMCers? CMC Career Services wants to offer our students the broadest range of career options possible and you can help them achieve this goal!

It’s a win-win. With your participation, CMCers will have the opportunity to explore diverse careers, new perspectives, and resources. You’ll benefit from CMC’s top talent as well! No formal program is required.

Join Us at Family Weekend on Saturday, February 19 at 1:00 p.m.! 
Observe or participate in an interactive workshop designed to help students learn how best to develop and share their narrative of why an employer should really want to have them on their team. Be a part of helping our students learn to authentically and confidently present experience and knowledge in all recruitment activities. 

Let us know you will attend this session by clicking here! 

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Parent Network Board Meetings

The Parent Network Board meets quarterly to discuss ways to enhance the College experience and to hear from College leadership. Read the October Board meeting minutes. 

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Past Parent Newsletters:

Fall 2023
Summer 2023
Spring 2023
Winter 2023