As children, all of us fantasized about the day when we could be on our own and watch cartoons until two o’clock in the morning! If left to our own devices, we would possibly use our free will to buy a Carvel Ice Cream cake all for ourselves even when there was no special occasion to justify such a delicious, impulsive purchase. We wondered what it would be like to be a full-grown adult and not have every minute chained to the schedule enforced by adults who helped us build character for our own good. When we achieved that stature of adulthood, the grass was certainly greener on the other side. Or was it? The freedom to make our own choices comes with the tendency to not always make the healthiest choices one hundred percent of the time. Those Carvel Ice Cream Cakes and other luxuries may feel extremely good in the moment, but they take their toll over the long haul. Understanding the consequences of not having a balanced diet will come a long way with mitigating negative choices.

Our students are adults with the capacity to live in their own apartments. But at the same time, they are still provided with a great deal of guidance and preparation to at least have the proper tools to make healthy decisions. One of the classes offered by the College Experience that prepares current seniors for life as future alumni is Apartment Life, which is taught by Esther Chong who is our Transitions Liaison. Esther also works diligently with our seniors who are part of the Transitions Program, which makes up their first year as an alumnus for those who decide to continue with their journey in the College Experience. The lesson she was focusing on this past Monday, November 7, 2022 was “Meal Planning and Food Preparation.” Here is a small snippet from Esther’s lesson plan.

Meal planning is the process of determining what you will eat for each meal. Understanding what varieties of meals can be cooked according to the activities and plans for a day, is an essential part of meal planning. We often choose recipes based on our personal tastes, ingredient availability, how long it takes, and dietary needs. Meal planning is a complete process which starts with the question, “What do I want to cook?”, to the selection of food, budget for groceries, and time for preparation.

We have attached a photo of our students and Esther (to the far right with the tan pants) having a moment of levity during class-time followed by one of Esther’s awesome slides about proper nutrition. We have full confidence they are going to continue to make positive decisions thanks to the guidance of Esther as well as the teamwork from the rest of our staff.