Patrick O'Connor

Ken chats with Patrick O'Connor, associate dean of college counseling at Cranbrook Schools and author of College Is Yours 2.0: Preparing, Applying, and Paying For Colleges Perfect For You. A frequent publisher of articles in the Huffington Post and elsewhere, Patrick is a strong advocate for college access (he's the chair of the Michigan College Access Network) with a long record of working with legislators to support college counseling.

Rapid Descent

Walkout song: Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring by J.S. Bach
Best recent read: The Anatomists of Melancholy, by Spencer Lee-Lenfield (Chronicle of Higher Education, April 17, 2020)
Eager to read next: The Years That Matter Most: How College Makes or Breaks Us by Paul Tough
Favorite thing to make in the kitchen: Ina Garten's Avocado and Grapefruit Salad and Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs.
What he uses to take and keep notes: "I don't take notes." The thoughts just spring from his head and into the computer.
Memorable bit of advice: Remember when you're frustrated with your superiors' decisions, the advice Patrick's dad gave to Patrick's frustrated 16-year-old brother, "It's his hot dog stand. If he wants to serve them with peanut butter, that's his decision." It helps you step back and see why folks might make decisions differently from the ones you'd make.
Bucket list: Learn to play the drums. Also, to be Sam Seaborn (from The West Wing) for a year or two, writing policy speeches that shape the future of the country.