Valerie Gebhardt is the AOD (alcohol and other drug) prevention coordinator at the University of Illinois Springfield, where she works in the counseling center. During orientation at the start of the school year, the center tries to get the word out to parents that they will be there if their children start feeling pressure from academic demands or social situations.
"I really stress with the parents that they have already paid for our services with the student activity fee, so there is no reason why their student can't come to our office for support," Gebhardt said.
Gebhardt added one of the best ways for parents to help prepare their children for college is to ensure they have mastered some basic life skills. Things such as doing laundry, cooking meals, paying bills and budgeting time can become overwhelming if a student has never had to attend to these tasks before.
Gebhardt was featured in an August 23, 2011, article in The State Journal-Register.
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