kUDOS TO tHE 2020 cOLLEGE gRADUATEs

6/18/2020

This past year has been unique and quite an experience for everyone. Whether you are an independent business owner, law enforcement, medical worker, parent, child, or school employee...you have a back ground knowledge most never thought we'd live in these United States of America. Times have changed, are changing, and more change is in the near future. Are you ready?

If you are an adult with grown children and struggle with the stress, imagine being a college graduate denied your final semester of your college career, crossing the stage with your peers, and then enter the non-work force. Now add the attention high school seniors got and you, the seventeen year student, get no recognition or attention.

These young adults graduate with hopes and plans. Some transition into more schooling for their Master's then Doctorate's, while others, strive for landing their first career and starting salary to pay the insurmountable student loans arriving November. Not all graduates will enter the work force immediately. Not all graduates will proceed to further studies. Not all graduates have a career goal. BUT, one this they ALL have in common is this...THEY ALL WORKED HARD AND HAVE DREAMS.

These dreams are placed on hold while the world slowly "reopens". Their Master's Degree programs may, or may not, happen. A confirmed job offer is put on hold or worse yet, rescinded. These young adults are looking to us as role models of strength, determination, and hope. I'm proud to parent one of these amazing students and young adults. I've seen the direct impact on her, her friends, and and their futures.

I understand high school seniors lost a memory and deserve attention but so do our college graduates. They not only lost graduation, they lost that last semester with their friends. Their friends don't live in the same small town, they live across the country, if not out of the country. I'm thankful for Zoom, Google Chats, and other venues they found to stay connected. Even if the colleges offer graduation, many won't be able to attend because they'll already be at Grad school (which is starting early for an accelerated learning platform, ending before Thanksgiving), unable to return.

Today, I want to flood the blog, Facebook, and social media with shout outs of appreciation, love, hope, and encouragement for all our college graduates. They worked as hard, if not harder than, the high graduates. Their thesis papers and capstones were presented digitally, without the feedback of their peers. They won't see their peers while shopping at the grocery store or at the beach, instead, they'll share photos via social media and look forward to their first reunion.

Keeping it Real...One Sister's Journey