What’s a BLOB? How does the Growth Transcript work?
Q&A with Chloe French
Growing up in Boise, Chloe French was a straight-A student and standout athlete, participating in soccer, basketball, track and field, and triathlons.
Then everything came to a halt.
As a high school freshman, Chloe suffered a traumatic brain injury that forced her to take a break from athletics and threatened her 4.0 GPA. Even worse, her self-worth plummeted. With her world suddenly upended, Chloe started to feel like something was missing from her life.
When she heard about One Stone from a friend, she applied immediately. Once she was accepted, she soon started to see learning differently, as “an investment in myself.” Now a student at Whitman College, Chloe reflects back on her time at One Stone, how the Growth Transcript guided her learning, and how she came to appreciate the BLOB.
What is the BLOB?
The BLOB was probably the selling point of One Stone for me. I was introduced to it the first time I went to One Stone to learn more about the school.
The BLOB values creativity, mindset, and skills equally to knowledge. By coming to One Stone, I knew I would have the opportunity to push myself to grow in these areas with support and feedback from coaches. I remember feeling puzzled as to how the soft skills on the BLOB could really be measured, but knew that it would be valuable to deliberately focus on growing in each of the four quadrants of the BLOB.
What did you first think about the Growth Transcript?
When I was initially introduced to the Growth Transcript, I thought it was a really cool way to visually represent my growth during my time at One Stone. However, I had no idea that it would actually become a very important and handy tool that helped inform the goals I set and efforts I made while I was in the program.
How did the Growth Transcript help you learn?
The Growth Transcript helped me in three key areas. First, I was able to gain perspective on how others observed my abilities and growth. I would routinely compare the feedback of others with my own perceptions, then openly discuss both perspectives. By taking a step back and recognizing where I started and the progress I was making each term, I felt that the work I was investing was validated. The Growth Transcript also helped me acknowledge areas where I could work to improve. I learned how to set goals for myself and direct my efforts towards areas of growth. And finally, the Growth Transcript helped me identify and capitalize on my strengths. Overall, it served as both a foundation and a reflection of the goals I set for myself throughout my three years at One Stone.
How did the Growth Transcript help you track your growth?
Throughout my time in the program, I knew I was progressing when I was able to apply the BLOB skills I was working to develop at One Stone in new contexts like my summer internship/experiences. Reflection was a huge part of recognizing this growth.
I was also able to recognize that success was not defined by getting every single item on my growth transcript to the “mastering” category. I was able to take a step back and look at myself as human and explicitly acknowledge my weaknesses without feeling like I had something to lose by doing so. Rather than pouring all of my energy into trying to master each item on the BLOB that I struggled with,I was able to take a look at the big picture and recognize how I could utilize my strengths and the strengths of those around me to accomplish my goals despite being challenged by a number of items on the BLOB.
How do your Growth Transcript and the BLOB impact your life today? Do they still resonate with you as a college student?
The BLOB and Growth Transcript served as a scaffolding for me to explore what I find to be valuable. This isn’t to say that before One Stone I didn’t have a desire to grow as a human being, develop these soft skills, or to do good in the world. I knew I valued the principles on the BLOB, but felt constrained because soft skills and growth were an afterthought to getting the grades I thought I needed to “achieve” in order to be successful. The BLOB and Growth Transcript not only validate, but encourage growth that can’t be achieved through reading a textbook alone. Now, I approach life with an entirely different mentality.
Before actually going to college, people were often curious as to whether or not I felt prepared for college after my time at One Stone. Many people asked me if I was afraid that college would feel bland and meaningless, knowing that I would be re-entering a “traditional” setting that I had strayed from to come to One Stone. In the summer before starting college, I went to a four day long pre-orientation program. One afternoon, I had a mock advisory meeting. Before even going in, I remember thinking to myself that I would never have an advisor or someone who I felt cared about me as a human and who I cared deeply about and knew beyond a job title and a face again. I knew it wouldn’t be the way it was at One Stone. I went into the meeting and the professor asked me about myself and about my high school. Following my explanation, he basically told me that my experience in college wouldn’t be anything like my experience at One Stone and he reminded me that the college was an institution that was far more bureaucratic.
While this was a bummer to hear, it wasn’t news. I had already considered that fact that unless I get in the driver seat of my own experience, my time in college could easily become another pile of report cards. Because of my time at One Stone, I knew that my goal for college goes far beyond the scope of checking the box of getting a diploma so that I can “start” my career. The BLOB and the Growth Transcript have allowed me to consider what is important to me and how I choose to assign value to these things for myself, regardless of what the institution I attend (or society) has prescribed value to.
