I have a freakish and completely irrational fear of horses.   It’s called equinophobia … and, believe me, it’s caused relentless teasing by my family and co-workers.  It’s also caused me to have quite a few unforgettable moments.

Like the time I was sightseeing in NY and my cab pulled alongside one of those Cinderella carriages outside Central Park.  Not only did I scream like a 12-year old girl, I leapt out of said moving cab into oncoming traffic.  (At the time, getting mowed down by a transit bus seemed a better alternative than being trampled to death by a horse with glitter on its mane.)

When I talk to students who have graduated from career colleges, I ask them two things.  The first thing I ask is — were they glad they went back to school?  And the second –   were they initially scared to go back to school?

99.259725% of students respond yes to both.

Many students traipse in to their first day of class with low self-esteem.  They are unsteady and unsure of themselves.  Many desperately crave approval and the chance to prove themselves.  One woman I spoke to recently likened herself to a light bulb. Before she had to the internal fortitude to go back to school, her light had nearly been snuffed out.  Her light was dull and only occasionally flickered.  Once she started going to school, she felt instantly brighter and alive.  And, more importantly, there was an “electric energy” at the school.  Everyone wanted to do better for themselves and/or their family.  And that energy was palpable.

Even though I desperately wanted to mention that she just had a “light bulb moment”, I didn’t want to interrupt.  (Thank you, Oprah!)  But I did ask her if she was scared to go back to school.  Turns out she had quit school not once, but twice before.  No wonder she was gun shy – she had literally pulled the plug on herself.

But here she was … ready to graduate in a few weeks.  She was excited.  Borderline giddy even.  From the administrators to the instructors, everyone at that school was responsible for helping her flip the switch from OFF to ON again.  Dare I say, someone gave her the POWER to succeed?  (Cliché’ I know … but I’m on a roll.)

Next time you talk to a student, find out what their hopes AND fears are.  One of them is always going to win over the other … it’s your job to make sure it’s the right one.

And for the record … don’t ask me why I’m afraid of horses either.  Like I said – it’s completely irrational.  My friends think I’m just being a jackass.  Needless to say, I told them to immediately find another name to call me.