By Jeff Orvis
Over the years as I have written
columns in various formats, I've developed a tradition of writing
pieces on specific topics at certain times of the year. As we close
in on the end of May and the end of another school year, I usually
make some comments, some reminders, for the graduates.
For many years, I had the pleasure of
getting to know some remarkable students. Many of them were student
athletes at the high school level. But some others may have excelled
in other areas as they made that trek toward the high school diploma.
As I worked in community journalism, I attended graduation every
year. I could understand why teachers who had been associated with
these students for four years or more may have shed a tear or two as
they sent them out into the world. I could fully understand why most
grandparents enjoy their grandchildren. As the old saying goes,
grandparents have the opportunity to see their grandchildren for
awhile, then give them back to their parents. The “parents” in
this saying, the ones who had to cope with both the highs and lows of
the daily lives of these students, would be their teachers. I would
be the one who visited the school and interacted with the student for
a story, then could leave, just like a grandparent.
One of the reminders I give to grads
every time I write is to remember who got them to the point where
they are crossing that stage and accepting that diploma. Remember to
visit your teachers, or at least communicate with them, to thank them
for all they had done and to let them know what they had
accomplished. And don't just talk to the most popular teacher. My
sophomore English teacher delighted in cultivating a climate of fear
among many of her students. You knew not to cross Mrs. Hultgren. Of
course, she was one of the teachers who taught me the most.
Unfortunately, I didn't realize it at the time and didn't get a
chance to thank her years later.
It's great to have one or two teachers
you can relate to and who can help you during tough times. But
sometimes some of the toughest teachers are the ones who mean the
most to your ultimate success.
Members of the high school class of
2013 face some incredible obstacles I could never imagine. Many of
you are heading off to a four-year college, where you will pay 10
times what I did when I was a high school freshman. If it had not
been for various scholarships and grants, I would have never had a
chance at college. That's the same for many incoming freshmen today.
But the competition for those scholarships seems much more difficult
today. In fact, gaining acceptance into many colleges is also tougher
than it was back in my time.
The challenges that today's grads face
seem far more difficult than those I faced when I was coming out of
Pleasant Valley High School. The opportunities are there, but they
are tougher to obtain. Thankfully, I've observed that many of today's
grads are more mature and driven than my classmates were. They have
to be. They work harder and, if some internet posts are to be
believed, they play harder at some colleges.
So you've got your academics in order,
you've chosen and been accepted at the college of your choice and
have somehow lined up the funds to go there. One key ingredient to
your success won't necessarily cost any money. It will, however, take
some time and soul-searching. As you prepare to leave for school
later this summer, many of you will be reminded to pack your Bible
and find a church. Moms and grandmothers are good at making those
reminders. But whether you can answer that alarm on Sundays to attend
services or find time to crack open that Bible on a regular basis,
don't forget to pack what I like to call your moral compass.
I was reminded of that last night as I
chose to watch a couple of episodes of “The Waltons.” You may
remember that TV series featured a big family growing up during the
depression in the hills of Virginia. The large family was patterned
from the real life family of Earl Hamner Jr. He created the show,
wrote most, if not all of the stories and narrated each episode.
Earl's character was the oldest son in the family, John Boy.
Naturally, after spending most of my
adult life writing, I empathized with the John Boy character. My
family situation was a lot different – I have just one sister
instead of a houseful. We lived in much better circumstances than the
Walton family, where grandparents also lived under the same roof. By
the end of the show's run, there were four generations living in that
house.
Of course, skeptics who watch an
episode would be quick to point out that it is far from today's
reality. The brothers and sisters would have their conflicts, but
they were generally settled by the end of each episode.
Unfortunately, fewer and fewer of today's households include two
parents, let alone the availability of wise grandparents.
But watch closely with an open mind
and you can usually learn some valuable life's lessons. As you embark
on the next chapter of your lives, find someone you can lean on
during tough times. Ideally, it will be a parent, grandparent or
older aunt or uncle. It might be the pastor at your church. But it
could also be one of those high school teachers who went the extra
mile to lead you to success.
My best bit of advice is to find that
special someone who can periodically tune that moral compass. Best of
luck to the Class of 2013. Those of us who went before you are
counting on you.
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