High School Graduation: Reflection

So, we've had our local high school graduations. Parkville graduated its Class of 2011 on Sunday, Loch Raven on Tuesday, and Overlea on Wednesday. I went to two out of three. Both were beautiful in their own ways, and I saw that years ago, I might just have been wrong. 

When my oldest son entered his senior year of high school, he asked me whether or not I was going to throw him a party for graduation. "Absolutely not." I said. "You are graduating high school as a matter of course, and there is no need for a party. We'll have a nice dinner, like a birthday dinner, and then you'll go on to college. Now, if you work hard, and get accepted into a top flight college, maybe we'll celebrate, but no way am I throwing you a party JUST for graduating!"  He got into the United States Naval Academy. He didn't have any backup applications in, and he was the 11th candidate accepted into USNA's Class of 2009. Determination and resolve did it. He got his party!

But, however, and although: it wasn't a graduation from high school party. I didn't believe in that. Then I started working with middle school students, and moved onward to working with high school students. I've worked with high school students now for 5 years, and there are many kids for whom graduation is not an option. Some of them have no parents. Some of them have parents who rely on them for a million things. Some of them have no ability, and have been passed along in the systems, moving from one school to another, and then to another, and then to another state yet, and so on. Then there are those who goof off for two years, then realize that they aren't doing what they came to high school to do. That's where I come in. But that's another story. Today, I'm talking about celebration for high school gradutes.

I had 7 kids that I was personally connected to this year who told me that they wouldn't have graduated but for something I had done for them, with them, or about them. Seven. Seven kids who live in Baltimore County, Maryland and didn't feel that they legitimately had a chance to graduate high school on their own. Our administrators knew many, many more who wouldn't have graduated but for the actions of the administration in getting them into summer school, getting them into Maryland Children's Health Program, getting them into a better foster care situation, or any number of other actions. High School Guidance counselors know of so many other students who made it because of their interventions. I guess High School Graduations ARE something to celebrate! 

Today I worked with several kids who are high school juniors and looking toward next year and their future. It's scary. What if they get into college, they ask. Will they be able to handle life on their own?  How about the money?  Where would they get it. And then there are the ones for whom college is not an option. Not due to lack of talent, skill, or intelligence; just due to lack of family support and motivation. They are so cool, these kids. Even the ones that drive teachers nuts. Some of them drive me nuts too, but I gotta hand it to them, their graduations are going to be flat-out celebrations of their proud accomplishment of having met the challenge and reached their biggest goal to date.

Some of them might even post a picture of their high school diploma on their Facebook pages!