Grant High School

February 8, 2012
Class of 2012,


I just read a piece entitled A Deans Advice to Seniors:  Don’t Slack Off: http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/06/dont-slack-off/?scp=1&sq=martha%20merrill&st=cse

I could not help but think of each of you as you have started your last semester of high school here at Grant.  For almost 13 years you have each participated in a version of formal schooling and have participated in what your parents have chosen for you as your career as a student.  Some of you have gone the traditional route and attended your neighborhood school while some of you have attended independent schools as part of your schooling career.  Some of you have attended schools outside of Oregon while a few of you have even been homeschooled as part of your formal education.  What makes each of you unique is how you have arrived to this moment in time.  While each of you has walked a unique and personal path, there are paradoxes you share in common as second semester seniors, entering your final semester of high school.

Wanting to begin something entirely new	Being worried that you’ll be starting all over
Looking forward to making new friends	Sadness about moving away (at least on a daily basis) from your friends
Ability to vote in our next presidential election (make sure to vote!)	Comfort in leaving some of the big decisions to others
Excitement about the possibilities of learning and doing new things	Worrying that you might not be up to it
Excitement about being far more independent	Anxiety about being more on your own

These are not "either/or" situations.  It’s all true and your challenge is not to try to resolve these one way or the other, but to accept the degree of truth in each and remember that growing up and being an adult is complex.  Embrace the complexity.

I strongly encourage each member of the Class of 2012 to make the time with friends, faculty, coaches and family members to talk about these paradoxes and to what degree they resonate with you.  You have lots to do before you cross the high school finish line and march across the stage in June, receiving formal and public recognition that you are ready to move forward into the world around us.  

Class of 2012, your actions and choices over the upcoming months matter as much as they always have during your time at Grant.  On behalf of the entire Grant High School staff and faculty we want you to know we are very proud of you and confident that you are quite capable of wrapping up your high school career with dignity and grace.  Please know that we are here to help you successfully cross the line feeling healthy and satisfied that you pushed yourself as hard as you could to get there.  


Ms. Orlen