four cornerstones
We hope that in using our services, our clients may come to embody the Four Cornerstones illustrated below. Each Cornerstone possesses characteristics that we believe are necessary for young adults to move forward confidently and successfully into the world. We hope that the Cornerstones may serve as a foundation to their academic and personal lives, regardless of whether life changes compel them to adopt new Cornerstones along the way.
For how the Cornerstones came about, visit the Blog for more!
Scholarship
Ownership
Scholarship is much more than a determination or perceived need to get better grades in school; scholarship is a life-long love of learning that extends beyond the confines of a classroom. It is the student’s joy in discovering new interests outside of school, engaging thoughtfully with new material on her own time, of her own volition and just for fun. Scholarship is the acknowledgment of the good that education brings and the gratitude for the opportunity to pursue such an education. It is respecting those who play a role in a student’s education, including her family, peers, teachers, community leaders and academics.
Our role: Élan is dedicated to each student’s pursuit of academic excellence and trusts that Scholarship will foster creativity and curiosity, leading to a more conscientious life filled with wisdom.
Citizenship
Citizenship is active membership of a larger community. Citizenship calls for a student who is awakened to the fact that she belongs to more than just herself. It is the life-long realization that the effects of one's actions can have powerful implications. As a human being gifted with many talents and resources, she has an obligation to interact positively with the world and to contribute her part.
Our role: Élan encourages each student to look outward to the needs of the universe and ask herself, "how can I contribute to community?". In preparation for life-long civic participation, a student can embody Citizenship by reading the world events section of a newspaper, volunteering for a worthy cause or, when the time comes, always remembering to vote!
Ownership is the pride a student has in his achievements, academic or otherwise. Ownership is the confidence a student exudes in knowing that his work is a manifestation of his own efforts—not his parents’, not his friends’, not the Internet’s. A student exemplifies ownership by possessing integrity and avoiding cheating or plagiarizing; drawing on the value of true Ownership, he prefers instead to rely on his own intelligence, creativity and resourcefulness.
Our role: Élan believes that Ownership is exponentially empowering. It is why, with coaching and plenty of encouragement, we insist that all of the work in the college admissions process is the fruit of the student’s own labors.
Stewardship
Stewardship is the manifestation of care for anything a student views as important or sacred. He assumes responsibility because it is good and right, because someone has to be the keeper and not because it is popular. Stewardship is the maturity to understand the bigger picture. Stewards are not “free riders.”
Our role: Élan hopes that each student learns to demonstrate good Stewardship. Stewardship is essential, for example, for the body and comes in the form of maintaining a healthy diet, exercise and self-image. Stewardship can apply to relationships with family and friends and come in the form of strong communication and trust. Students can be responsible Stewards of the environment, the library, the entire democratic process, anything.