It's Not Where You Are; It's What You Make Of It

I recently got a series of texts from my very first client, a young woman I met two weeks before the COVID lockdown back in 2020. She was a high school student, struggling with writing and test prep for the SAT.

Over the next few years, we met online and later in person as she navigated high school English and history courses, the SAT exam and finally college application and scholarship essays. Before we knew it, her high school graduation arrived and off she went to college. I heard from her a few times as she got settled into campus, but then she rightfully turned her attention to her new life as a college student.

It was a pleasant suprise to hear from her with graduation photos with her in her cap and gown and another holding an award acknowledging her as a student leader in her class. It was even more gratifying to hear how much she loved her college experience. Even better, she will start graduate school in August in a career field she's excited about.

It's always great to hear when students are successful in college, but it was especially gratifying to hear from her, since the college she was graduating from was not her first choice school or even her second choice. In fact, I distinctly remember the conversation we had before she headed off to college. She was excited but still disappointed that she wasn't going to her "dream" school. She had been accepted, but her family just couldn't make the numbers work.

She's a sensible person and understood the need to choose a college that her family could afford. But at the same time, she couldn't help feel she was missing out. Fortunately, that feeling didn't last long. Her recent texts told me "college was great! I had so much fun and learned a lot." "I did two internships and got real world experience." "I made so many friends" - with photo proof of a big laughing group of students surrounding her.

The old saying "bloom where you're planted" captures how this student made the most of her college experience. She made the choice to join clubs, do internships, have adventures, take classes that interested her and set herself up for future academic and career success. She is entering the next phase of her life with great memories and friends. The college may not have started as her "dream school", but reality surpassed her dreams.

I'm sharing this story not because I think students shouldn't have dream schools. But dreams can and should change. I also think any college can become your dream school if you are open to and put some effort into finding new experiences. If this happens for you, please don't forget to text me.