rebelling against low expectations
June is well underway; graduation parties, proms, grad walks, and ceremonies are all happening around you. For many people, this is exciting and meaningful, a way to mark the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. But for others, this time of year can be hard, because they never got those things. It makes me think of milestones I passed by with little thought. My family had just moved when I...
Well, that’s a wrap! I just finished my first year out of college and my first year as a teacher. I started working as a teaching assistant during my last semester of college, then worked as a teaching assistant/school librarian/junior high English and literature teacher for a full school year. This year was an adventure, and college did not adequately prepare me for the challenges I would face...
What am I going to do with my life? No doubt you’ve asked yourself this question many times over. I, myself, am graduating in June, and I have yet to form a solid plan about my post-highschool life. Until recently, this concerned me greatly. Maybe you’re like me and notice a lot of your peers have already applied to colleges and have been accepted. And seeing things like this, maybe it’s adding...
When I graduated five years ago, I didn’t have a life plan. I remember wrestling with uncertainty, trying to figure out what was next as I attempted to answer the bombardment of What’s next? questions. I felt the suffocating pressure to have my life plan mapped out by graduation day. I’m sure many 2021 graduates can relate. In the five years since I received my diploma, I’ve experienced numerous...
it’s going to take courage to step into this new day— don’t forget, take one step at a time. you’re on the verge of life left to be lived. as the page turns to the next chapter, chase after your dreams— run. but never stop chasing after your Savior. this is both the beginning and the end— oh, how far you’ve come. don’t forget, the rest of this journey won’t be easy. but you’re no stranger to...
Graduation is a time of paradox. Beginnings and endings blend together as one life season merges into the next. Plans and dreams jumble together with uncertainty and fear. It’s saying hello to the future as we wave goodbye to the past. And honestly? As exciting as graduation is, it can also feel terrifying. Leaving the security of twelve years of grade school, always knowing vaguely what the next...
It was four years ago, around this time of year. The flat was silent, empty. I had just arrived home from university. I didn’t even take my coat off. I just dropped my backpack, sank down on the floor, and cried my eyes out. It would be two more years before the doctors worked it out, and by that time I was resigned to how my life was changing–how it would have to change if my...
“What are your plans after high school?” By now, you think I would have a solid answer. “Well, I want to write. Maybe take some online classes or find a mentor. I’ve researched different degrees and programs but haven’t picked any. I want to keep serving in my church too. And it’d be fun to learn a language…” The short answer? “No clue. Get back to me in five years.” Is It Okay Not to Know? I’m...
I witnessed my sister heading off to her Year 12 Formal the other day and I felt so incredibly proud. It was the beginning of the end to a long thirteen years of schooling and turning the page to a new chapter post-final exams. I came home from work the night of Aimee’s last exam and she was glowing. The freedom she had only been waiting for was now a reality. I hugged her, welcoming her to...
rebelling against low expectations
