This month I sublet my column to the future to see what they have to say.
On June 14, 2011, an historic event took place at Renton High School as 200 seniors graduated at the school’s 100th commencement.
So I went right to the source – the graduates themselves – to see “what are you thinking?” at this historic time.
On a sunny June afternoon, I met with 11 seniors from Sara Olson’s leadership team on a stairwell and they shared their insights on high school and graduation.
Everyone will want to know, “What are you going to do now?” So I asked it first.
No marriages, military service or permanent jobs for now. But 11 hands went up when I mentioned college. They seemed very focused on higher education, relating it to success in achieving their goals.
If you had high school to do over again, what would you do? Answer: Study more, don’t procrastinate, cherish time.
What advice would you give an incoming freshman? Answer: Have no expectations, come in blind, be open to all possibilities.
What would you tell administrators and politicians about making high school more meaningful and relevant? Answer: Don’t cut freshman athletics; support the various clubs and leadership teams. Most importantly, come and sit and listen, before you make cuts in education.
Who would you like to thank for supporting you these past four years? Answer: Family, of course. But our friends have become more like family as they have been in the trenches with us and understand our struggles. Also, Sara Olson, our leadership instructor, and most of all, our principal, Damien Pattenaude. He has so much faith in us and pushed us when others thought we couldn’t succeed. He taught us to ignore negativism.
Are you a different person than you were four years ago? Answer: Emphatically, yes! Sometimes we took on too much. Some things we regretted but looked upon them now as lessons learned.
What is the upside of graduation? Answer: Although we are closing a door, we are excited about starting a new chapter. We’re anxious to show the world who we are and what we are capable of.
What is the downside? Answer: Leaving friends, some of who have been our friends for 12 years and realizing that once graduation is over, we will probably never see most of them again.
Everybody has a life purpose – what is yours? Some answers were: One student, a refugee, was so grateful for the support he received that he plans to major in international law and belong to the United Nations. Another student plans to major in political science to help her achieve her goal of world peace. Already holding many state track records, another student plans to be in the 2016 Olympics.
Did high school prepare you for the future? Answer: Yes, everything that happens in high school is on a mini-scale of life itself. You learn to balance the ups and downs. Knowledge dies, but wisdom lives.
How does it feel to be the 100th graduation class of Renton High School? Answer: Something to be cherished and they proudly displayed their sweatshirts that contains everyone’s name who made history on June 14, 2011.
You can throw away all those greeting cards that say “Follow your dreams” and “The future is yours” because this class clearly “gets it.”
Finally, I’m passing along a personal message from all of them to you – “Not to worry, as you’re in good hands.” From the determined look on their faces, I believe them.
Tish Gregory is a freelance writer. She can be contacted at: tishgregory@aol.com
Students speak out
The following graduates from Renton High School participated in the roundtable discussion with Renton Reporter columnist Tish Gregory.
Mursal Ashkir, P J Benedictus, Jazane Brown, LaRelle Hill, Aira Jose, Nhu-San Nguyen, Sueanne Phan, Meykia Smith, Sabina Sy, Vanessa Tran and Maria Young.
