20 Years...
In preparation for writing this article, I was on the hunt for a specific picture. Well, 2 closets, 3 albums, 6 boxes, and 1 trip to the garage later and I found it! With the combination of
my first high school workshop this week,
the start of May,
and being on the planning committee for my high school reunion, it has me thinking about that milestone in our lives:
graduation.
A few days ago, I ran into my neighbor whose daughter is a Senior at Nequa Valley High School and graduating over Memorial Day Weekend. I got the chance to congratulate her and there was an exuberance for all three of us as we chatted about this final phase in her high school career. Which got me thinking, why is there more excitement about graduating the 12th grade than college, grad school, or even with a doctorate?
You might be having an internal argument with me, “That’s not true! I was thrilled when I got my PhD.” Yes, you were excited, but how many people showed up at your party? With a PhD, probably your spouse, kids, and parents.
Remember the months of May and June that senior year and going from party to party for your friends; being there with their siblings, parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents? An array of finger sandwiches, fruit bowls, cheese and crackers, and a “Congratulations Graduate!” cake from the local grocery store? Nowadays, the Pinterest Kings and Queens would put this kind of party on steroids, but irregardless of the style of your party there was a huge sense of community when we graduated high school.
My education includes high school, college, and a masters… and with each graduation there was less and less excitement surrounding the next diploma. A sense of accomplishment by me? Sure. And a sense of pride in my parents? Absolutely. But there is something completely different about the first time.
Here’s my hypothesis on why this is:
When you’re graduating high school, the whole future is in front of you without a stain of anything negative from the wrong choice of major in college, fear of getting a job, or having a terrible internship.
It’s the bliss of the “world is your oyster!”
Oh, how I wish I could rewind and know what I know now. But that’s not possible. And as I show my professional clients, you absolutely can redeem the past by getting on the right path now. The first hurdle is not letting fear hold you back from getting off the hamster wheel.
As I look back though, I think how different my path could have been if I’d known who I was, really and truly. I was searching for that answer continuously throughout college, grad school, and well into my first career in architecture.
What I couldn’t articulate to you then, was that something was off. I kept going because so much time and money had been invested to arrive at the success of working at some of the best architecture firms in Chicago.
Ironically, eighteen years into that first career, including education, and I was in the midst of my first Career Change. Eighteen also happens to be the age of most high school seniors.
So if you are a parent of a soon-to-be graduate of the 12th grade, a hearty congratulations! You’ve been on this journey with them for quite some time. As you dry your eyes and help them take a look at their future, I want to encourage Career Coaching for them. Even the overly confident ones, of which I was the front of the line, can totally miss it because self-awareness is typically found either by “trial-and-error” self-discovery or through coaching. Which one do you think takes less time? There really isn’t enough money for me to get back the years of a misaligned career, not to mention the stress that came with being in the wrong lane.
For the month of May, in honor of my 20th high school reunion, I’m going to offer 20% off the Career Discovery Coaching package for high school seniors. Schedule an informational call with me by reaching out via the contact info below, and we can find out if I’m the right coach for your son or daughter and if coaching is right for them.
As the picture says, there really is so much to be proud of. Congratulations Graduate!
Yes, I’m equally as impressed I still had this photo… in the frame… with the original tassle! #CCHS (before there was even such a thing as "hashtag”)