Monday, June 4, 2012

High School Graduation 2012



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A graduation ceremony is an event where the commencement speaker tells thousands of students dressed in identical caps and gowns that "individuality" is the key to success. 
 ~Robert Orben



Despite the petite li'l thing that she is, Playmaker has always kinda been the "square peg" that didn't fit into the "round hole" that public high school tried to squeeze her into. She attended there for two years but the last two years she chose to do Dual Enrollment at our local state university instead. Loved it!  In the end she chose not to participate in the High School graduation ceremony either. She attended some of the rehearsals  and soon realized how unimportant all the pomp & circumstance was to her. She did graduate tho' - and managed to make the Dean's List at the university all four semesters that she attended there - tho' I gather technically it didn't really apply because she was in high school - but three of the four semesters they sent her a letter congratulating her in that regard. Go figure. Prouda her! From here she plans to continue living at home and to attend a nearby community college to become a Physical Therapy Asst (2 yr program). I think she'll be a great one! I did some math recently and figured that her used (like new to her) VW Beetle and her new to her (but really very old/beautiful) baby grand piano and her college degree all combined will likely cost less than many if not most people pay for one year of college alone - and if all goes according to plan as it has so far  - neither she nor we will have to go into debt at all (happy dance!).

With her years of piano education and her new piano, she now owns everything she needs (including business cards!) to begin a small business teaching private piano lessons and entertaining at private functions if/when she wants to  - and the PTA degree she's pursuing should allow her lots of options - and flexible schedule options too -  once she begins working in the field...part time/full time/home health (set your own schedule), etc. For now tho' she's working at a privately owned local garden center and I'm pretty sure she has the best job in town for someone her age :) And they're so good to her there. She's learning so much there too! 


***

The trouble with learning from experience
 is that you never graduate. 

DOUG LARSON, 
attributed, The Ship of Thought





2 comments:

warriormom said...

I love the Willow Tree. How beautiful and appropriate! What a legacy you are leaving-teaching your kids. The whole debt-free approach. I love the picture you got of the three on the sidewalk. My mom has pictures of my brothers and a few people you might recognize standing in that very spot MANY MANY years ago.

MYstory of HIStory said...

That is so neat. Talk about leaving a legacy ... your parents are leaving a beautiful one.