Who Does That?!?

Lately I have had so many circumstances arise which repeatedly leave me wondering "who does that?" I will admit that sometimes it is in reference to something stupid I have seen or heard someone do or say and other times it is because of my amazement of the courage, compassion or generosity that I have witnessed. But, no matter if the thoughts originated from positive or negative observations I continue to find myself shaking my head and wondering WHO DOES THAT?!

This weekend I had an awesome opportunity that was full of “who does that” moments. One of my former students who graduated in 2008 got married in Vermont and he invited me to attend his wedding. Who does that – invite a high school staff member to their wedding 10 years after graduation? Evidently, at least for this weekend, the answer to that question of who does that was

Ken & Jamie at their Ketubah Signing Ceremony

Ken Greim. I have so many vivid and heart-filled memories of Ken and his friends and their 5th period lunch visits, of watching him compete in WKHS Ice Hockey, his competitiveness and even his procrastination on completing applications. After graduating from WKHS Ken attended Dartmouth where he rowed on the Crew team and since then has moved to Boston where he and his now wife, Jamie, love to compete in cycling races and going hiking together.  I even had the incredible honor to be invited to join Ken’s parents and brother to see their Ketubah signing (a special ceremony that is a part of a Jewish tradition of signing their marriage contract.)  While there were tons of moments that I loved throughout the weekend, if I was forced to select one as my favorite – it would be their Ketubah signing ceremony – just witnessing up close the precious looks of love that they shared and the vows that they were making to one another was really special.

(L to R): Chris, Bryan, Ken, Eugene, Adam, and Phil (Class of 08)

Ken and Jamie’s love was palpable, and it was an incredible weekend made even more memorable in that 5 of Ken’s high school friends (and my 5^th period lunch visitors) were all there to celebrate this special occasion.  This group of guys is remarkable – they are smart, engaging, and successful.  I loved them when they were in high school and even though I hadn’t seen most of them in a LONG time, I still love them now.  Between the other 5 young men they went to college at OSU, NYU, Notre Dame and University of Southern California and in spite of being spread so far apart across the country they have remained close friends.  (Who does that?)  One of them is now a Doctor in Cincinnati, two are getting their PhD’s – one at UC Berkeley in Chemistry and one at UCLA in Economics, one works as an Actuary in Chicago, and the other works in finance in New York City.  2 of the 6 guys have completed the Boston Marathon and another is training for an Iron Man and biked 100 miles in the Vermont mountains on the morning of the wedding.  (Who does that?)  In case you can’t tell, I had a wonderful time not only being able to enjoy the wedding festivities, but also catching up on all of their lives.

So why am I telling you all of this?  Well, in part just to share a highlight from my summer, but I also want to remind you that while you’re in high school or even 10 or more years beyond, I love celebrating your successes and happy moments just as much as I love being able to be here to support and encourage you on the tough days.  And while I am sure I won’t stop frequently asking myself “Who does that?!”, I am thankful that the response of who does that to sharing your lives with me is each of you!

What should I do this summer?

Summer is a great time to relax and unwind from the hectic schedule of homework, studying and the general day to day expectations of school. But your summer shouldn’t just be wasted away into day after day of doing “nothing.” The summer is a perfect time to explore your passions, investigate your interests and indulge in fun activities that you might not have time for during the regular school year. Now that you are a few weeks into break, I wanted to encourage you to start thinking about what you will do this summer to make sure that you have a productive summer and don’t spend the entire break being bored or wasting it away scrolling through social media.

So, what are some ideas of how you can spend your summer? 

Summer vacation is a great time to expand your resume and pursue your passions by volunteering or working a summer job. Many students don’t know where to volunteer and the truth is the sky is the limit – anything that interests you has the potential for being a volunteer service project. Get creative in your approach! For ideas about existing needs for volunteers you can visit Hands On Central Ohio. Speaking of resumes, during summer break, you should really spend an hour or two updating your resume.

If you are starting to consider different careers, perhaps you have a family member or friends that would allow you to shadow them for a day or two on the job to see what their particular career is really like as this will help you determine if that career is truly of interest to you.

Visiting colleges is a great idea for students of every age.  While there won't be as many students on campus during the summer months as the regular school year, the reality is you will still be able to get an idea of what you think about various schools to help you figure out what it is that you do and do not like in various schools.  Of course, don't forget to take a picture of you somewhere on campus for me!

Current juniors (Soon to be Seniors) – this summer is going to be busy as you prepare for your senior year. Hopefully you are ready to begin drafting your college application essays and doing more in preparing for the ACT and SAT exams.
Of course, there is always spending quality time reconnecting with your family, going on vacation, reading, and even attending camps or other formal activities which can be a part of the summer for many.

The bottom line is try to be productive this summer – at the very least it will give you great stories to share next fall when people ask you what you did over the summer.

Final Transcripts

I have received a few questions from students who just graduated worrying about their final transcripts.  As you may recall, we made all seniors complete a form that explained which college you planned on attending.  So, unless you have had a change in your college plans, your final transcript is being sent to your college.  

If you applied to your selected college via Common App, your final transcript was uploaded this past week.  If your school isn't a Common App school, Mrs. McDaniel is currently working on sending your transcripts to the college you indicated on your mandatory graduation questionnaire form.  

If your college is still saying that they don't have your transcript in a few weeks, then there must be some problem because they should all have them by then.  If your plans have changed or if your college is still indicating that they haven't received your transcript, please contact Mrs. McDaniel at WKHS.  (She works during the summer.)  She will help send another copy of your transcript.