College Advising and Alumni Update

1/21/2026

Sarah Kramer, Director of College Advising

Earlier this month, Trinity hosted an Alumni Lunch and Panel. The lunch, which was a great opportunity for our faculty and staff to reconnect with Trinity graduates, was attended by about 25 alumni.

Later that afternoon, class of 2025 alumni shared their college application journey and freshman year experiences with the Upper School. Panelists included Alex Anguiano, Colorado School of Mines; Richard Black, Colorado College; Lauren Blaylock, University of Tennessee; Gavin Dorfner, Texas Tech University; Lily McHale, Texas Christian University; Gigi Molina, Texas A&M University; and Tiara Sanni, Rice University.

In a post-event survey, 87 percent of our students found the event helpful as they think about the college application process, and 92.6 percent of students felt they learned more about what college would be like.

The survey also asked students to share the best advice they had received. Across all responses, 25 percent of students were happy to hear how our alumni were able to build relationships. Here is a sample of additional responses to “What are some of the best things you learned from your former classmates?”:

Apply to things that you're interested in, and be yourself.
That you can tour schools, which helps you effectively decide which school you want to go to.
How different locations were very impactful in choosing a college and changing majors is okay.
What colleges truly find valuable when applying and getting accepted.
Some of the best things I learned were that the transition is easy and you don't need a 4.0 to get into college.
That you will always end up where you’re supposed to end up.
I learned that I'll be very prepared for whatever I do in college.
I learned all about the transition process and how you can manage it efficiently.
Do a lot of clubs and things or find something you love to find your people.
I liked hearing about their experiences with their roommates and how they made new friends.
I learned about how college rooming works and I learned how I can balance my day when I get to college.
I learned that high school is similar to college and is filled with fun activities for college students.
How they stumbled into making friends and how they manage their schedules.
Making friends in college is very easy, strategies for studying, you can get a roommate who matches with your interests, and the block course system.
Learning about the social life at campus, as well as how much the workload is, especially since I want to continue my athletic career in college.
I learned that college does not have to be super stressful like I expected it to be. They also said that it's quite easy to meet new people and have fun in groups and clubs which is quite relieving to know.
From the alumni, their experiences in switching majors was very helpful for me, someone who does not have a complete idea of what path they want to follow in the future.
That college isn't as scary as it seems and people are usually welcoming and nice.
I learned about ways to balance school work with time for yourself.
I was very comforted to hear that when people say that you won't be friends with your friends in high school, it's not true. I really love my friends and it's scary to think I wouldn't be friends with them.
The best thing I have learned was how to talk to the professors. I think it was helpful knowing to try to get to know your professors. I also thought hearing about the dorm rooms was helpful. Finding a roommate seems scary, so hearing about how the alumni found roommates and that they are not scary makes me feel less worried.
How important communication with your teachers is.
I learned to focus on English as it will prepare me and set me ahead of most when I take it in college, from all of them. This stood out to me because English is my worst subject right now. I also learned that time management is important and it's good to have a schedule you can follow everyday to keep up with classwork.
It is easy to change your major.
My classmates helped me realize that college isn’t nearly as intimidating as it looks from the outside. It becomes manageable when you’re surrounded by people figuring it out together.

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College Advising and Alumni Update

Trinity School of Midland