It was Graduation Day, and I can still remember listening to this incredibly nostalgic song by Sarah McLachlan, as my mother drove me to my high school. I recall paying very close attention to my mothers’ breathing as she sighed somberly every couple of minutes or so. Certainly, she was contemplating giving me the world’s longest lecture on bad choices and the effect it has on everyone close to you. Although I was not graduating with my class, I was chosen to sing the National Anthem for hundreds of proud parents and eager classmates—as if the sting of failure was not torturous enough. Nevertheless, I masked my affliction and continued to support my graduation classmates as they walked passed me on the stage to receive their Diploma certificate.
Unfortunately, this story is all too familiar to the average high school student. If you have not experienced it personally, then you know someone who has. There is always that big pink, polka-dotted elephant in the room when you disclose the fact that you did not graduate high school to friends and family. The awkward stares and the questions can be overwhelming, especially when your parents are in the same room. Not only do you have to deal with your own personal struggle of facing reality, but now you have to deal with everyone else’s concerns regarding your future.
A High School Diploma is a big deal. It is the first step towards the real world. It is perhaps the first true accomplishment as a young adult. The fact of the matter is that not all students will thrive in a traditional four-year high school. Luckily, I was able to endure the defeat and push forward by finding an alternative way to get the golden ticket (that is, my High School Diploma) to opportunity. I enrolled into night school and spent my entire summer studying rigorously. Finally, at the end of the summer, my counselor informed me that my efforts have paid off and that I had earned my High School Diploma. At that moment, for the first time in my life I recalled thinking “I am so proud of myself.”
There is a certain beauty to failure. It brings you face to face with your true desires. If you feel ruined by a specific failure, then it is an optimal opportunity to go full throttle and do whatever it takes to turn that failure around and make it a success—whether it is night school, the GED, or an alternative private high school. When you finally meet that goal, the honor you feel will make it all worth it. If I had to do it all over again, I would not change a thing. I would endure the pain of seeing my classmates move one step ahead of me, and I would still have sung the song of this great Nation for my graduating classmates. A lesson learned is a valuable piece of information, almost as valuable as your High School Diploma.
