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FutureU

@futureu515

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Therapist-led college & career planning for teens + parents 🎓
LISW | West Des Moines + virtual
⬇️ Free guide: raise a kid who can OWN IT

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To the mom of the high school graduate:

A year ago, I was you. This week, my son comes home from his first year of college. We did it! The tears, nerves, sad feelings; they were all worth it to see him grow and thrive this past year.

I was okay. And you will be too. You got this (I promise).

#college #highschoolgraduation #graduation #highschoolparents #2026graduate by @futureu515

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5 months ago

No one talks about how much your WHOLE family feels the impact of your oldest leaving for college.

We talk a lot about preparing the student, but what about the younger siblings learning what home looks like without their built-in best friend? The college transition changes family dynamics for everyone.

The good news? With the right support, it can also bring your family closer together.

How has your younger child handled an older sibling leaving for college? Share your experience below👇

Follow @futureu515 and explore the FutureU Academy (links in bio) for practical resources, encouragement, and expert guidance to help your entire family navigate the transition to college.

#collegetransition #collegemovein #collegeparents #siblingrelationships #familytransition by @futureu515

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2 months ago

If my high school junior is willing to make a video promoting the FutureU Academy, it must not be too cringy😂 @avery.bowen11

She basically said what I’ve been saying all along: “Everyone keeps asking my mom the same questions…” So instead of answering them one at a time, I put them all in one place.

🎓 College planning
💰 Paying for college
📚 ACT/SAT prep and study skills
🧠 Life skills teens actually need
💬 Scripts to help teens and parents speak the same language
🎒 High school planning
❤️ Support for navigating the ups and downs of high school
👨‍👩‍👧 Guidance for parents who want to help without taking over

It’s all the questions teens, parents, and honestly half my clients ask me every week — organized into one easy-to-use portal!

If you’ve ever wished you could text me every time a college, high school, life skill, or parenting question popped into your head…FutureU Academy is basically that (and apparently, it is officially teen-approved😂)

Comment “ACADEMY” or click the link in our bio to learn more.

#collegeplanning #highschoolparents #collegeprep #teensuccess #lifeafterhighschool by @futureu515

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3 months ago

Not every anxious feeling needs an investigation🕵️‍♀️ Sometimes we feel anxious, and our brain immediately wants to figure out WHY. So we start analyzing every conversation, every decision, and everything that could possibly be wrong. Before we know it, we’ve made ourselves MORE anxious trying to figure out why we were anxious in the first place.

Sometimes, the best first step isn’t more thinking; it’s movement. Go for a walk. Hit the gym. Do some yoga. Dance around your kitchen. Give your brain a break and let your body do something different.

PARENTS: When your teen or college student calls and says, “I feel anxious, but I don’t know why,” you don’t always have to help them figure it out. Encourage them to move their body, get outside, or change their environment. Then check back in.

Movement isn’t about dismissing anxiety or pretending nothing is wrong. It’s about giving their nervous system a chance to settle before trying to solve a problem that may not even exist. And if the anxiety is still there? That’s when you get curious together. Listen, ask questions, and help them figure out whether there’s something they need to address or someone they need to talk to. If anxiety is persistent, overwhelming, or interfering with everyday life, encourage them to reach out to a school counselor, college counseling center, therapist, or healthcare provider.

You don’t have to ignore anxiety, but stop giving every anxious feeling a full-blown investigation 💚

#teenmentalhealth #collegestudentmentalhealth #anxietytips #parentingteens #moveyourbody by @futureu515

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21 hours ago

There’s nothing like reuniting with your college student 💚 Anyone else wish they could bottle up this feeling forever?!?

@will_bowen15 @avery.bowen11

#collegeparent #collegestudent #parentingadultchildren #collegekids #collegelife by @futureu515

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10 days ago

The funny part is that most teens really don’t know what to say when they ask for a recommendation. And why would they? They’ve probably never had to:

-choose the right person to ask
-explain why they chose them
-give meaningful examples about themselves
-manage deadlines
-follow up professionally
-or figure out what to do if the person doesn’t respond

Most recommendation resources hand students a brag sheet and expect them to know what to put on it. “Ask With Confidence” teaches the process before asking them to fill anything out.

Students work through specific stories, growth, contributions, and strengths, narrow those down to their best 2–3 examples, and then turn that into a one-page brag sheet they can actually give their recommender. It also includes scripts, email templates, deadline guidance, troubleshooting, FERPA information, and a parent guide for helping without taking over. Because even though “just go ask your teacher” sounds simple, for a teenager who has never done it before, it usually isn’t.

👉 Grab the “Ask With Confidence: Your College Recommendation Guide” today (link in bio)

#collegeplanner #lettersofrecommendation #collegeapps #highschool #parentsofteens by @futureu515

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15 days ago

October is National Women’s Small Business Month!⚡️❣️

I started Mesman Media a little over a year ago. One of the best parts about running this business is getting to help so many amazing women get their passions & hard work SEEN by others. Truly a blessing!🤍

How you can support female-owned small businesses this month? There’s so many ways!

❣️Follow their social media and interact with their content
❣️Choose local businesses over larger corporations for the month of October
❣️Sign up for their newsletters, read their blog posts/content, and visit their websites (mine’s in my bio if you wanna check it out😜)
❣️TELL OTHERS ABOUT THEM! Word-of-mouth is SO powerful!

Anyways, forever grateful for this business & the chance to get to tell people’s stories day in and day out. Happy National Women’s Small Business Month to all who celebrate (which should be everyone!) by @futureu515

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16 days ago

@mikeobrienthefutureu says he’s less likely to get distracted when he works in my office. He isn’t in trouble, and I’m not actually supervising him. 😂

Sometimes the best support isn’t more reminders or closer supervision; it’s simply proximity.

This can be helpful for teens, college students, or, really, anyone. Sitting at the kitchen table while a parent works nearby, studying beside a friend, working near a coworker, or joining someone on FaceTime can provide just enough external accountability to stay with a task.

This is often called body doubling. The other person doesn’t need to teach, monitor, or repeatedly check in. Their presence simply helps create structure.

If your student is struggling to start or stay focused, try changing the environment before assuming they need to try harder.

#fantasyfootball #bosslife #footballseason #accountability #studytips by @futureu515

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19 days ago

When your college student calls home upset, resist the urge to fix it💚

Listen. Ask questions. Help them find their next step. That’s the heart of the FutureU “OWN IT” Framework: helping your student build confidence and solve problems for themselves.

📲 Get the FREE FutureU OWN IT Framework Guide → Link in bio! 
#CollegeParenting #CollegeStudentSuccess #ParentingCollegeStudents #StudentIndependence #FutureU by @futureu515

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25 days ago

Sorority rush can feel awkward for one simple reason: you’ve probably never done anything like it before.

So why not learn from girls who just did? 💕

I asked current college freshmen what they wish they’d known before recruitment—and their advice is worth hearing if rush is still ahead for you.

That’s also why I created Rush Ready: to help girls know what to expect, practice the conversations, and walk into recruitment feeling more confident and prepared.

✨ Rush Ready is linked in bio!

@jadin.tebbe @hadleykerk @iowafsl @iowaphc

#sororityrush #iowasorority #universityofiowa #greeklife recruitment by @futureu515

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a month ago

TOMORROW IS CY-HAWK GAME DAY!🐤🏈🌪️

When it comes to picking a football team to cheer for, there is a right answer (Iowa all the way!). But when it comes to picking a college to attend, the “right answer” looks different for everyone. Pick the school that best fits YOUR interests and needs, and you can’t go wrong!

Anyways, have a fun & safe weekend and GO HAWKS🖤💛

#cyhawk #iowavsiowastate #universityofiowa #iowastateuniversity #iowacolleges by @futureu515

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a month ago

Parents: stop fixing every problem your college freshman has👀

Bad grade? Roommate drama? Overwhelmed? Your instinct: CALL. FIX. SOLVE. But if you handle every hard thing for them, they never learn how to handle hard things themselves.

College is about learning how to figure problems out, not avoiding them entirely. Give them support, give them space, and let them own the next step. That’s how independence actually happens.

Want to give your college freshman the tools to handle everything college throws at them? Comment READY to receive the FREE “5 Things No One Tells You About Freshman Year” guide!

#collegefreshman #iowaparents #parentsofcollegestudents #collegetransition #backtoschool by @futureu515

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2 months ago