Regional high school valedictorians say they're excited about the upcoming presidential election, full of anticipation. They say they are following the issues, watching debates. They are all planning to vote.
In other words: They've got this.
But when it comes to going off to college, their answers are less confident.
"I worry about the sheer number of responsibilities that will face me as a college student. Between studying for classes, working a part-time job and managing finances, college seems to be the first taste of the real world that I will experience," said Chattanooga Christian School valedictorian Cameron Austin.
"One major problem I know I will face is learning to handle responsibility. I go from being told when I can go to the bathroom to making my own decisions for everything," joked Sydnee Ruff of Tyner Academy.
"Eighteen years I have been under my parents' authority and guidance, and at college, I won't have that - well, not as much," said Evelyn Marie Roth at Calvary Christian School.
"I expect to face many problems as a college student especially being a minority female and lacking self-confidence," said Patricia Trotter from Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy. "I believe the one that will affect me the most is the lack of self-confidence because I'm the only person who has the power to make myself fail."
In a survey conducted by the Times Free Press, 72 percent of local valedictorians expressed some degree of anxiety about problems they expect as a college student/young adult. They revealed a broad spectrum of concerns, but accepting personal responsibility was the common thread among all.
While previous year's surveys have had a handful of students mention coping with newfound freedom in college, it has never been more than a blip on the radar. Replies trended to larger, nationwide issues: crime, terrorism, the economy and environment.
Not all valedictorians are suffering from anxiety or any mental health issues, nor are they are potential candidates for college counseling services. But for such a large number to indicate concern about accepting personal responsibility "indicates a significant issue," said Dr. David Quagliana, director of the Lee University Counseling Center and a licensed psychologist.
However, the therapist noted, anxiety is not a new issue at college counseling centers; it reflects a trend counseling centers have seen growing over the past five years. In part, it's helicopter parenting touching down which, instead of leaving the graduates feeling grounded, makes their lives seem to be up in the air.
But college professionals say helicopter parents are just one factor in the increasing number of students who show up at college counseling offices.
The survey
Each spring, the Times Free Press contacts 75 high schools within its circulation area to obtain photos, information and survey answers from valedictorians. They receive a survey asking four questions about what problems they expect to face as a college student; what concerns they have about finding a job after college; whether they worry about paying for college, and what their political leanings are at the time.
In the 15 years of the survey, no question has received such strong and consistent feedback as the one this year expressing college anxiety. Concerns ranged from handling finances and managing time to coping with negative peer influence and transitioning from small, insulated, rural school communities to large state campuses.
"As a college student, I know that I'll encounter numerous problems when I make the switch from high school to college," said Joshua Johnston, Fort Payne High School's valedictorian.
"I have a feeling that I'll probably stay in my room too much for my own good," he added. "This could affect me by lessening the college learning experience that is outside of the classroom. I might not be responsible enough at the start, but I'll find my way eventually. In the end, I think I'll be fine."
While students' level of anxiety is new in this survey, heads of counseling centers at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Lee University say it's a trend they've seen growing for the past five years.
"It's a national trend. Counseling centers across the nation are seeing more students who have anxiety for lots of different reasons," said Dr. Nancy Badger, UTC assistant vice chancellor and director of counseling. "There is a concept called 'resilience' that is being studied quite a bit. People are saying kids today don't have as much resilience as students who grew up 10 to 20 years ago."
Quagliana pointed to a report by the Association of University and College Counseling Center Directors that says "anxiety continues to be the most predominant and increasing concern among college students (47.3 percent), followed by depression (40.1 percent) relationship concerns (32.5 percent) suicidal ideation (20.2 percent), self-injury (12.8 percent) and alcohol abuse (10.5 percent.)"
"There is a lot of research being done on this generation," says Quagliana. "There is lots of nationwide data. What it ends up looking like is: For more than a decade we've been seeing an increase in the number of students who are requesting counseling services. Anxiety has always been in the top three, if not the No. 1 presenting cause."
Helicopter and lawn mower parents
Counseling center professionals agree that helicopter parents are one cause for students being unprepared for college but certainly not the sole factor.
"I think that 'helicopter parent' is an overgeneralization," Quagliana said. "Parenting style plus a handful of other factors are resulting in students who have a different sense of themselves and the challenges they are going to face. It changes their perception of what a challenge means.
"In previous generations, when students failed at a challenge, it was uncomfortable. But in this generation, they are more likely to face an existential crisis," he said. "They are more likely to have been raised to believe that they are uniquely special and talented, that success comes from some internal trait of theirs and comes somewhat easily as opposed to intelligence being defined as ability to work through a challenge or problem."
Helicopter parenting is a metaphor for cosseting parents who hover over their children, always ready to intercede on their behalf instead of teaching independence. Their counterparts, lawn mower parents, "mow down" any obstacles in their children's paths to success. For example: Bad grade? They'll talk to the teacher for their child.
"It's always been the case that parents have done a lot for students in high school, then when students come to college the transition has always been really hard," Badger said. "What is new is the number of students coming to counseling."
Dan Jones, past president of the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors, said in a Psychology Today report that, because parents "have solved all their problems and removed obstacles, students don't seem to have as much grit as previous generations."
Badger believes one reason for the increased numbers of students seeking help is that there is less stigma attached to going to counseling now than in prior years. Quagliana also said more students with a variety of mental health issues are attending college. For example, in past years it was unlikely a student who was bipolar would be on campus, but new medicines to treat such illnesses have made that possible, he said.
"It would be a myth to believe that university counseling centers typically provide therapy to help with homesick freshmen and dating relationship breakups," Quagliana said. "The circumstances, diagnoses and psychological impacts our college students deal with are far more diverse and severe than this myth would imply."
McCallie School valedictorian Duncan Moore is a four-year boarding student from Albany, Ga. Being on his own at McCallie has helped him develop independence and how to handle challenges with confidence, he says, so he feels prepared to head to Yale this fall.
"I've learned to manage my time. You have to manage time and be purposeful," he said. "Living here with these guys in the dorms and learning to interact with them and being part that brotherhood is what makes McCallie different."
"In a supportive environment, we stretch our boys by placing them in situations which foster their independence," said McCallie Headmaster Lee Burns. "They gain confidence and resilience by meeting challenges head on.
"You can't just give a student confidence, they have to earn it themselves through experiences that grow them," Burns says.
Contact staff writer Susan Pierce at spierce@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6284.
THE SURVEY SAYS
Following are answers to questions two through four on the Times Free Press valedictorian survey.Q: Do you have concerns about finding a job once you graduate? Has that affected your choice of major?› No, not concerned: 80 percent› Yes, concerned: 12 percent› Yes, and changed college major: 8 percent“I do not worry about finding a job after I graduate because my major (biochemical engineering) is so versatile. I can pursue a job within medical research, biomedical engineering, environmental engineering or lab studies. Through this versatility, I feel secure with my possible job outlook, which changed what I previously wanted to study.”— Haley Keelser, Dade County High School“Because the United States Naval Academy is a military academy, I will be guaranteed a job in the armed forces as an officer after graduation. This allows me to choose any college major that I find interesting, and I am choosing economics to better prepare myself for work in the private sector as a future entrepreneur, which will occur after I complete my dream of flying for the Marine Corps or with the Blue Angels.”— Tyler Cain, Ridgeland High School“I am not too worried about job placement after college. Because I am studying to become a doctor, job security will not be as frightening as other professions. I did once consider being a violinist after spending eight years in the life of a musician. I realized there was no way I could handle the traveling, salary and competition that dominated a professional violinist’s career.”— Jonathan Martinez, Center for Creative ArtsQ: Are you concerned about how you’re going to pay for college?› Yes: 30 percent› No: 58 percent› No response: 12 percent“As a student who has to pay for college on my own, of course I’m concerned about the financial matters. However, I’ve been blessed with parents who have taught me the value of a dollar and how to save my money, so I feel prepared to handle the financial responsibilities I will soon inherit as a result of college.”— Katie Paniuicki, Silverdale Baptist Academy“I was told all throughout high school that I would be able to go to college wherever I wanted and I wouldn’t have to worry about paying for it, but senior year has been a huge wake-up call. I’ve lost so much sleep over worrying about college debt that I don’t even have yet.”— Jadyn Snakenberg, Central High School“I’m receiving the Tennessee Promise and Hope Scholarship, which will completely cover my first two years of college. I am confident that I will be proactive enough to do well and apply for scholarships to help pay for however many years of additional schooling I choose to pursue.”— Julie Tripp, Ivy AcademyQ: Would you call yourself a liberal or conservative? Do you plan to vote in the upcoming presidential election?› Conservative: 50 percent› Liberal: 24 percent› Independent or no answer: 26 percentAll the valedictorians said they plan to vote in the upcoming presidential election except for one student who won’t be 18 by November.