This past week I went back to high school. OK, I didn’t really go back to high school…I went back to visit the college counseling center at the same high school I attended: Fairfield High School in Fairfield, CT.
The name has since changed to Fairfield Warde High School, but the spirit and essence of the school has stayed the same. So many memories come flooding in as I entered: I remember walking the halls from one end of the building to the other in the 5-minutes between class periods. I remember decorating my friends’ and teammates’ lockers. I remember pep rallies in the gymnasium and the physics olympics on the football field. I remember my friends, my teachers, and all those who helped shape me into the person I am today.
This visit also gave me the opportunity to reflect upon my own life journey.
I was a junior the first time I signed up to meet with one of the college representatives visiting the school. I was worried about missing my honors English class, but my parents encouraged me to take the time to meet with admissions counselors from the schools I was interested in. It was a good thing that I went to that meeting too! That first college visit was with an admissions counselor who I still stay in touch with and continue to look up to today. That visit was also what sparked my interest in college admissions/higher education as a career field. Within the short meeting, I saw a career path that differed from the many “desk jobs” I had envisioned. I found a balance I didn’t know was an option: a job that would allow me to travel while also having an office as a home base. I saw a career that allowed me to work with students through what might seem like their first BIG life decision (I myself was struggling with how to make this decision). I saw a career that allowed me to counsel, mentor, and advocate for others. And, I saw a career that would continually push me, an introvert, to be outside of my own comfort zone. I have the opportunity to interact with, and learn from, others every day.
Today, I cherish these memories a little bit more:
The Chalkboard 