We enroll our children in the education system, and continue through the primary, middle and high school stages. It is expected and ordinary, and yet each child's experience, highlights and struggles are unique. Megan's path included dyslexia, mean girls, and a pandemic. It also included good friends, library carts and great teachers interactions, creative pursuits, photography and a 5 on the AP Psych exam. Some of it was just slogging through and Megan found her way.
I worried for Megan sometimes during her school years. Worried that she and those around her didn't see her intelligence and would discount her. I know it happened and I know it impacted how Megan saw herself as a student. In the thick of the pandemic, the majority of her friends were in college hunt mode, with applications and essays and to-do lists. Megan struggled to approach the idea and the pressure and competitiveness of it all was a turnoff. For years she has been drawn to the idea of being a midwife and saw herself capable of achieving that goal but the steps in between were foggy.
She and I visited a few colleges, talked of nursing programs, and looked ahead. She decided not to apply to any of the colleges and instead attend the community college focusing on the nursing program there and then transfer to a 4 year program. It took a little bit of time for her to feel proud of that decision, some friends were snobby about college, but I know that Jim and I are proud of her. When we toured CCBC she didn't think she was Honor college material and I had to remind her of her GPA. She doesn't realize how well she has done.
We spent a fun day taking senior portraits and we were pleased with the images we got, just in time to order graduation announcements and pick one for our wall.
Megan was voted Best Dressed in the senior superlatives, and this was really fitting. There was so much of high school and especially the pandemic that she couldn't control, but she could control her clothing. When most of her classmates wore leggings, t-shirts and headbands, Megan picked out an outfit from her hand-me-downs and thrift store finds.
The end of the year came in careening fast with lots of activities being allowed with modifications at the last moments.
Megan was the Treasurer for her SWE, Society of Women Engineers Club, and was one of the team captains. They built a cool Rube Goldberg machine with the goal of opening a book. Her team picked the theme of the movie UP and called themselves the Wilderness Explorers. The team made Top 20, and won the People's choice award.
Megan was thrilled to get to go to her Senior Prom. We went thrift shopping and she found a simple lavender dress that fit really well. She picked pearls as her accessory, so I did her hair and added pearl accents. I made the corsage and boutineer to match. Zach would be driving in from Notre Dame right after finals. It caused a little stress when Megan discovered that Zach had not gotten his tie or shirt in order, but he found one that day at a local shop. Her cousin Joseph is dating one of Megan's classmates Eva, so the two couples would be going to events together. Zach had some family obligations and would be coming a little late, so that they missed the big group pictures. It was really rainy so we took pictures on the front porch before they headed to sync up with a big group of friends and then off to the Marriott for the Prom. There was no official school afterparty, but one of her friends hosted a big group of them at her house that evening. Megan was all smiles when she talked about the night.
Megan was invited to the Senior award ceremony and received a reward for Service, being one of the students in her class with the most service hours. She had prom, and senior sunset and then onto graduation.
