Open Roads Creative began at Harvard University when Trevor Hall and Vicki Kennedy were Co-head Teaching Fellows for the beloved child psychiatrist Dr. Robert Coles’ course, A Literature of Social Reflection. This course was rooted in the documentary arts, and was often referred to as one that would “change your life.” Most of the students in this course were seniors at the college and used this class to reflect on their values and inform the life they would create after college. It was this experience that inspired our approach to helping individuals and organizations learn to shape their narratives and make the most out of life’s major transitions. 

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We have now worked with hundreds of high school students during their transition to college as well as college graduates heading into graduate school or their early careers. In each case, we begin with a documentary approach to understanding where they have been, who they are today, and where they want to go in the future. We then facilitate a process that helps them zero in on their highest held beliefs and values. From there, we collaborate to craft a plan of action and to present their most authentic and compelling life story.

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Specific to high school students, we believe the necessity of the college essay writing process provides a wonderful moment to help young adults put forward their most compelling personal story and maximize their chances of admissions into the best college for that individual's life goals. It is also a time for reflection, a time to declare their own direction and make a healthy leap to college, and beyond

 

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