Due to COVID, a lot of normal school events were cancelled last year. And since last year was the first year our high school was open, this second year has held a lot of firsts for the school. Among those was this evening’s Principal’s Reception. The event was basically the invitation only awards ceremony for those seniors who have earned top honors in a variety of different ways during the school year. The original plan was to hold a nice dinner like our principal did at his last school, but the district wouldn’t allow that due to COVID. They did get permission to do refreshments though, and they got some fancy ones, so it was still a nice event.
Nathan was selected as the math sterling scholar earlier this year so when we received an invitation, he assumed that would be the only honor he received. However, he was completely wrong in that assumption. He actually ended up being one of the students who was called to the front most often. He was recognized for being the math sterling scholar, a student who excelled in both academics and the arts, the senior who was the top in the math department, and a student who had a 4.0 gpa as well as an ACT score 30 or higher (Nathan got a 31 on the ACT). The school gifted each one of the top award-winning students with a blanket bearing the school mascot/slash logo and when Nathan got called up for his second award that came with a blanket, they joked about there being only one blanket for student. If they had given one per award, I think Nathan might have come home with three…
It ended up being a very nice evening, one that Nathan enjoyed far more than he thought he would. Kev and I were finally able to meet his physics, math and ASL teachers and although Nathan has had a rough year (or three) in high school, the reception helped him recognize that there has been a lot of good as well. He just found the good in different places than he expected. He has loved his physics and math classes and has made some friends there. He helped create an end of year escape room activity for the statistics classes which he loved. His teachers loved it too. It’s not often that you get a student who understands the material so easily and gets so excited about it that he goes home and uses his mom’s white board to explain the newest cool thing he learned in school. He started learning ASL during his time on stage crew in middle school, but I don’t think any of us were expecting him to pick it up so quickly and to love it as much as he does. He took ASL 1 as a junior, skipped right to ASL 3 as a senior, and ended up being at the student at the top of the class. He has stood out as a positive influence and a good example in the school as a whole, something that the admin made sure to point out. Apparently, he has been optimistic and upbeat, something that the school has sorely needed this year, and people have noticed. I don’t think he had any idea how much of a difference he has made, but he has been a source of good in his sphere of influence.
So yes, this has been an extremely difficult year for him. It has held challenges that none of us could have predicted a year and a half ago. He has dealt with a lot of disappointment and discouragement along the way, as well as a good amount of frustration and stress. But he not only survived, he managed to thrive in adversity (though he may not have been aware of it) and has made a difference for those around him. And he has learned a lot both in the classroom and out. Adversity makes us stronger, and I hope that Nathan will be able to see the strength he has gained as he finishes a chapter in his life and prepares to move on to the next one.
Nathan was selected as the math sterling scholar earlier this year so when we received an invitation, he assumed that would be the only honor he received. However, he was completely wrong in that assumption. He actually ended up being one of the students who was called to the front most often. He was recognized for being the math sterling scholar, a student who excelled in both academics and the arts, the senior who was the top in the math department, and a student who had a 4.0 gpa as well as an ACT score 30 or higher (Nathan got a 31 on the ACT). The school gifted each one of the top award-winning students with a blanket bearing the school mascot/slash logo and when Nathan got called up for his second award that came with a blanket, they joked about there being only one blanket for student. If they had given one per award, I think Nathan might have come home with three…
It ended up being a very nice evening, one that Nathan enjoyed far more than he thought he would. Kev and I were finally able to meet his physics, math and ASL teachers and although Nathan has had a rough year (or three) in high school, the reception helped him recognize that there has been a lot of good as well. He just found the good in different places than he expected. He has loved his physics and math classes and has made some friends there. He helped create an end of year escape room activity for the statistics classes which he loved. His teachers loved it too. It’s not often that you get a student who understands the material so easily and gets so excited about it that he goes home and uses his mom’s white board to explain the newest cool thing he learned in school. He started learning ASL during his time on stage crew in middle school, but I don’t think any of us were expecting him to pick it up so quickly and to love it as much as he does. He took ASL 1 as a junior, skipped right to ASL 3 as a senior, and ended up being at the student at the top of the class. He has stood out as a positive influence and a good example in the school as a whole, something that the admin made sure to point out. Apparently, he has been optimistic and upbeat, something that the school has sorely needed this year, and people have noticed. I don’t think he had any idea how much of a difference he has made, but he has been a source of good in his sphere of influence.
So yes, this has been an extremely difficult year for him. It has held challenges that none of us could have predicted a year and a half ago. He has dealt with a lot of disappointment and discouragement along the way, as well as a good amount of frustration and stress. But he not only survived, he managed to thrive in adversity (though he may not have been aware of it) and has made a difference for those around him. And he has learned a lot both in the classroom and out. Adversity makes us stronger, and I hope that Nathan will be able to see the strength he has gained as he finishes a chapter in his life and prepares to move on to the next one.
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