New! Monthly guest blog post from North Star Alumni Coordinator Aaron Damon-Rush. Aaron is checking in with lots of alumni, and is generating updates he would like to post. Aaron and I agree that using this blog is a fine platform to do so! I aim to post twice monthly, so now you might see up to three blog posts per month including this ongoing series from Aaron. Enjoy!
Hi everyone, I’m Aaron, North Star’s Alumni Coordinator. Welcome to our first ever alumni spotlight article! North Star is now in its 28th year, and we have more than 600 alumni who have gone on to do all sorts of weird and wonderful things. This series will be a chance to check in with some of those folks and talk to them about the cool things they’re up to.
First up: Laura Ross! Laura attended North Star from 2010 to 2014, and went on to receive both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Mount Holyoke College. I spoke with Laura recently and to hear more about her North Star experience and what she’s up to now.
What brought you to North Star?
In middle school, I experienced a lot of anxiety & depression along with some physical health issues that made getting through classes difficult. It got to the point where I refused to go to school anymore and, after a failed attempt at homeschooling, my mom discovered North Star and thought it was worth a try! North Star completely saved my life. I started out with just one-on-one tutorials and then over several years slowly built up my confidence until I started attending group classes and even co-facilitated a class with my advisor, Susannah Sheffer. During my final two years at North Star I served as a North Star Ambassador and made several trips with Ken & other members to various other self-directed learning centers. I am so grateful for all of the amazing experiences I had at North Star!
What are you up to these days?
I work at Western New England University as the Career Coach for the College of Engineering. I love my job because I get to help students figure out what they’re passionate about and guide them to a career that will be a great fit for them. I also love my job because it gives me plenty of time to do the other things I love! I teach guitar lessons on the side and play in pit bands for local musicals whenever I have the opportunity. Right now I’m in the middle of a six week run for “Bright Star,” a musical at the Majestic Theater in West Springfield. I took on the challenge of learning the banjo for the show which has been quite the adventure!
What was it like learning to play the banjo?
Learning the banjo was awesome! I play guitar so a lot of the skills were really transferable, but everything is much faster, and I had to get used to using metal fingerpicks for the first time. I was lucky to work with an amazing, supportive group of musicians who cheered me on the whole time! The whole experience has brought me so much joy, and it has been a nice reminder that there are lots of ways to work your passions into your daily life.
What’s something you learned at North Star that still sticks with you?
I learned so much about myself at North Star and I think that self-knowledge really helped me as I adjusted to college and then the workplace. I also discovered so many of my passions at North Star, and I have been able to bring those into my adult life in ways that have felt really meaningful. My experience at North Star also taught me how to advocate for myself and made me realize the importance of being vulnerable and authentic with other people even when it feels intimidating.
You can still catch Laura in Bright Star at the Majestic Theater until October 15th!