Ask a College Expert: Meet Adrienne Frumberg
This week in our Ask a College Expert series, we interview Adrienne Frumberg, founder of Lighthouse Guidance, an organization that provides postsecondary options and counseling for students and young adults. Lighthouse Guidance supports students with mental health concerns, physical disabilities, chronic health conditions, and students who are anxious and in need of support.
Focus Collegiate: Thanks so much for being with us. Tell us a little bit about yourself. What is your specialty?
Adrienne Frumberg: Helping students with all aspects of the college process. I started Lighthouse in 2017, with a focus on students who need extra support in the college process, whether they have been in treatment, have mental health issues, learning differences, health conditions, or physical disabilities.
FC: What inspired you to get into this business?
AF: It might sound corny, but I was inspired by a great relationship with my own school counselor in high school. I am also a certified school counselor, so I’m able to put on my counseling hat when needed. The gift of being a school counselor is getting to know and help students on a one-to-one basis.
FC: I’m sure some of your work has to do with educating parents as well. In your experience, what do parents need to know about planning for college?
AF: It’s a great question. I’m going to do a webinar on this subject. Parents need to help their students launch. Being a college student will be the student’s full-time job. Hopefully, parents have been enabling self-advocation. For example, is the parent allowing the child to wake up unassisted? Are they allowing the student to take their medications unassisted? Are they doing things on their own?
Some questions parents and students should look at together are:
- Does the student need disability support?
- Have they registered with the disabilities services office?
- What’s the plan for continuing therapy in college?
- Some students struggle with filling out forms. Do they know their social security number?
- Do they know how to get prescription refills?
- Have they filled out their immunization forms?
- Can the parent even speak to the college? Have they signed a FERPA release?
For Parents who are nervous about their child departing, set up a plan for communication. Set up a time and put it in the Google Calendar.
FC: In your opinion, what is the biggest challenge for students with learning disabilities or mental health diagnoses?
AF: Each group faces different challenges.
For students with learning differences, the biggest challenge is not accessing help early enough in the semester. They need to be proactive rather than reactive.
For students with mental health issues, the greatest challenge is not having an organized plan for how they’re going to handle their therapy or medication in college. They should have it all lined up before orientation and know where the counseling center is on campus. Is there an anxiety group on campus? Or another group that focuses on their particular mental health challenge? If so, they should join it.
For students with physical disabilities, register with the disabilities office early enough to allow for schedule changes due to building accessibility issues or housing changes that might be necessary—you might need a ramp or an accessible shower. Going on campus is a great way to see what is really going on. It’s hard to see this on the internet. I’m working on an accessibility index, with my colleague Annie Tulkin, that will detail what is really going on.
Regarding medications, students need to make sure they have a plan for refills, and a plan for management, such as an app, an alarm, or a Google calendar. Students should also purchase a lockable medical bag so they can safely store their medications.
FC: Let’s talk about taking medications in school. When is the best time for a student to start taking responsibility for their medication?
AF: If the student is spending summers away, this is a good time to start using Sunday-to-Saturday pill boxes. Students need to know what their medication is and what it is for. The sooner they start this, the better. 11th and 12th grade would be on the later side.
Students should learn about getting their own refills—do they have to call it in? Is there an app they can use?
FC: Let’s talk about therapy and counseling. What should parents be doing to make sure that either the student continues with their current therapist or finds a new one where the student will be attending college?
AF: A lot of parents need to step back. They’re used to accommodating the student themselves, so it’s hard for them to not want to fix everything. Parents need to discuss a transition plan with their student. There may be a move to telehealth, or a parent may request a family session to help move the plan forward.
FC: What are the challenges of maintaining a medical or psychological health regimen in college?
AF: The challenges are purely executive function challenges: forgetting! Students don’t set the alarm and miss their calendar invite. They’re used to the scaffolding provided by their parents. There are some great apps for medication management. Students are so drawn to electronic reminders, they should use the apps that are available.
FC: You’ve given us so much great information. Let’s end with a question about you. What is your greatest success in your role as guide at Lighthouse?
AF: Oh wow. Good Question! One of the things I love is that I do Zoom Groups with my alumni together with my current juniors and seniors sharing their real-life experiences. It’s great to see my alumni and I love that students are so eager to participate. I love hearing about their successes, and students love hearing from other kids.