Perhaps your student already has job, internship or volunteer plans in place for the summer. If so, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Yet, if he's still trying to figure out what to do this summer, you can help:

• Ask Her What She's Interested In. What does it mean to "have a worthwhile summer" in your student's eyes? Ask her! Seeing what's important to her will help you help her reach her goals, instead of imposing your own.
• Direct Him to Career Services. The good folks in this office can help him look for summer jobs, internships and more. They won't get the job for him-that's up to him! Yet, they'll provide support and resources throughout the process.
• Put Out Some Feelers. It's not your job to "fix" the summer plans issue for your student. Yet, if he asks and will be with you for the summer, put out some feelers in town. Let community members know that your talented, hard-working kid will be around and looking for work!
• Talk Realistically About Money. It's easy to have grand dreams about the summer yet, it's also important to be realistic about what needs to be done. Have an intentional conversation with your student about money and what needs to happen in order to cover next year's college costs. If she knows that she's responsible for spending money and books and other expenses, that will help her gauge her work schedule while also seeing if she can fit in the volunteer gig she'd like to try. Providing complete information so she can make adult choices is a great step in fostering self-responsibility.

Now that it's April, your student may need a nudge to get some summer plans in place. Offer support and ideas and encouragement. The rest is up to him!

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