First off, a huge congratulations to our newest alumni – The Class of 2020. As a Central Catholic graduate, I can attest that being a Saint is not always easy. High School is not always easy. This group of students, though, radiated positive energy through the hallways of our school while leading their peers academically, artistically, athletically, musically, and spiritually. While I will miss the students, I am way more excited to hear about their upcoming achievements and endeavors in the next chapters of their lives as alumni.
To the recent grad,
Along with attending Central Catholic, I can also relate to being in your position a few years ago. I remember wearing a graduation cap that held onto a navy and gold tassel. During the commemoration ceremony, I sat in church daydreaming of returning to high school as an employee. Haha. Just kidding. More like I was grateful to never have to walk the only circular hallway of our school again. I did, however, sob after my last softball game and maybe released a tiny tear while throwing my white polos and khakis into a fire.
To my frustration, I did not have a clear path envisioned when I graduated. I attended Heartland Community College as a freshman on a scholarship with no idea what career I wanted. While my friends packed their cars with new dorm room items and headed to better adventures in various states, I continued to live with my parents, work at Monical’s Pizza, give tours as an HCC student ambassador, and eventually reboot its student-run newspaper for a semester. The entire time, I hated my situation, for no reason, while envying my friends in university and wishing I could also move away. Forever.
I convinced myself if I did not leave the only town I knew in a year, then I never would. I’d be sucked into the towny trap. So, I said peace when my acceptance letter came in the mail. I transferred to Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, as a sophomore. I knew no one. I did not have a car. I lived in a run-down jail cell, I mean dorm room. I joined a sorority. I auditioned in front of one of the biggest green screens in the United States and received a reporter position. I walked to classes with a backpack and to parties with a pack of strangers. All for an education, which resulted in me learning a lot about myself. Crazy.
As much as I deeply love the experience I had in college, I have to admit the older people in my life were right. I could have gone to Illinois State University next door. It was the smarter and rational option of the two. While working at the community college, I was under the impression I spent a year of missing out. In reality, I was avoiding debt and the headache of restarting my life so young. Through the experience, though, I learned how little where you reside and the type of education you pursue matters. What you make of your circumstance is the most important key to success and happiness. And I would even argue the people you surround yourself with will heavily influence your mood more than a specific town or school,
College is very fun, but it is mentally challenging. I went from floating on a pink blow-up flamingo thinking I had life figured out in a small pool to trying to hang onto the same deflated neck of the bird in the middle of the ocean. But, through both experiences, boundaries were pushed, broken down, and rebuilt even stronger.
Maybe some of you recent graduates have it figured out. I know how academically advanced many of you are. Maybe you have a goal set for exactly where you want to be in five years. If so, I pray that you achieve It!
However, I am guessing a few of you may be a little like me. Maybe you do not know what you are doing but you are taking the right steps of the process to better understand, find, and define your desires. If so, then I am definitely praying for you, too, along with myself still figuring it out #TeamTrying. But the realest lesson I learned from a few college professors is this: no one knows what they are doing, even adults.
What I learned on my own, though, is that finding your purpose is part of the beauty of life. But do not confuse it to be or expect it to be a pretty view. Alternatively, it will be unconventionally ugly. Instead, learn to soak in and appreciate the least glamorous times. Hours stuck at the library. Homesickness. Heartbreak. The pain does heal, and it eventually turns into a glossy polish, I promise. Maybe it turns into some baggage, too, but like that hard plastic fancy polished baggage. Anyways, dive into dysfunction. Working to uncover your God-given gifts is worth the dig in the dirt. Choosing to follow His directions or seeing what happens when you turn off His GPS is difficult either way. Sometimes it might feel like God has the settings speaking in a foreign language or He accidentally clicked mute, but what freshly paved straight sidewalk would you want to walk on forever? Life would be boring without challenges.
To find your purpose, whether you are going into a trade, joining the military, attending college in your hometown or another state, I encourage you to immerse yourself in as many opportunities as you can even if the experience is only to weed out what you do not want in life. Begin to create the life you want and define the details of your dreams.
Do not expect the next few years to look like your favorite streamed series. Always be yourself if you want to attract people on your same wavelength who will make you happy. Embrace failing because it will happen. You will be broke in many ways. Overdraft bank account fees could become a norm if you are not cautious. And when you are unable to make a decision, always choose the option that will leave you with the least amount of regret. Because you only live once.
Remember, just like the poster above the water fountain at school says, “Your brain is under construction until 25.” Thank God I have two more years of construction, too. While there is always the ability for building after the first quarter of life, people tend to be more lenient toward the mistakes of young people. After all, you are learning and called college “kids” for a reason. No one expects you to know it all. Also, you have a strong ability to advance your knowledge before your prefrontal cortex closes. Absorb all the information you can during this peak period of brainpower.
As Mr. Taber says, people are plastic, meaning, you begin life melted and malleable. You are stretched by external factors such as parents, teachers, and friends for years before you harden. So far, most life conditions have been in your parents’ control. Central Catholic, also, has majorly helped form your shape. Now, you get to choose what you surround yourself with as your elasticity begins to tighten. What will you do to step outside your comfort zone? What areas of life do you want to be educated on? What new influences and experiences will help solidify or change your views? Remember, this shape you have control of will be the foundation that kick starts your adult life. The daily decisions you make will contribute to your final hardened plasticity as a person. No pressure, haha.
Lastly, I encourage you not to get lost in a big idea and see the extraordinary impact of small acts. Reflect on the people who have strongly impacted you as you search through your own gorgeous, messy, path of madness, and make your alma mater proud. Once A Saint. Always A Saint.