Never ceasing to be amazed.
A Journey Back In Time
Monday I returned to my alma mater - my old high school - to do presentations as a Highland Ambassador. The presentations were focused on college transistions in three senior english classes through the day. Of course, this also left me time to catch up with old teachers and take a few strolls around the place to see what has changed, and what hasn't.
True to nature, I arrive to the school barely on time- classic. Since the redneck parents were going down the side street that I was trying to climb up on and not giving me a chance to gun it, I had to made a quick turn into the senior parking lot rather than parking farther up on the hill in the faculty parking lot, which is essentially closer to the building. That's what you get for being late, and not going down the next side street that the buses take, duh!
No worries for me, I arrived with plenty of time and visited the guidance office. The guidance counselor, S, and I have kept in contact since my departure to college. In fact, she attended EUP for a year, I believe, and was also the first one that introduced me to Edinboro and what they had to offer me, a confused senior distraught from the decisions she didn't know how to answer. S is a great counselor, and I had the oppritunity to spend most of the day with her, getting to know her more in the realm of her life rather than the 8 - 3 job she has.
The presentations went well. The first class, an AP class, was most influential in my opinion. They were very receptive and friendly, interested in what I was speaking about. I found some of the other students in the later two classes to stare around the room, some never even making eye contact with me and instead glued their eyesockets to the desk infront of them, some watched me intently. Interesting how various people listen, or don't listen. Oh well, hehe.
Going around the school was like a flash back in time. It felt as if no time was lost, nothing had majorly changed for me to feel a sense of disconnection with the school. As I took a walk around in my teacher-like clicky heels I discovered that the smells were the same, the paint was still peeling, and some of the teachers looked exactly the same as if the tap water contains some of the fountian of youth, but knowing what the tap what is like, I know that must not be it. I enjoyed my time in high school as a teen; I savored the moments because I was aware that they were numbered. I do the same with college, but I wish college would last a little longer, I enjoyed som much this past semester.
Of course, I answered the question "what are you doing here" about 50 bazzilion times. Thankfully I had my Highland Ambassador shirt on to keep people on their toes that I wasn't some foregin intruder who was stalking them. (I did have to sign in when I entered the building and recieved a visitors badge, but "forgot" to put it on ;) ) It was great to talk to the teachers, get a quick update, say my hello's and warm wishes, the whole shebang. Teachers and I have a pretty close relationship, closer than the average student who takes the tests and leaves. I enjoy knowing a little about their lives, their family, hobbies, quarks, et cetera. No, I really am not a stalker, but I loved talking to the adults in high school because sometimes they were great mentors, friends persay, and probably one of the reasons I recieved the faculty scholarship when I graduated. Shocked, of course, when I awarded, but not dumbfounded to why they would choose me - they knew me when I got to know them. As S told me herself at the visit "We liked to choose good people for the award and send a message that it's not all about grades." Wow. I remained speechless, I didn't know what to say.
I can't imagine being a teacher, it kind of seems like a grind. You know, the whole "pour yourself out to students with all your intellect and wisdom and hope everything goes well". It's a shame that more students don't come back and thank their teachers because it's nice to see that their efforts weren't in vain, but then again, if you're a teacher, getting thanks doesn't matter to you. In fact, it doesn't matter what your profession is - thanks should not be a reason. It's the passion, the "oomph", the love, dedication - there isn't even a word to describe it. It's God given, and you use it to His glory.
Of course I had to make a pit stop outside at the end of the day and see my old busdriver, A. What a loser, haha. Actually, that's an inside joke between us. (We give each other the loser sign on our foreheads when we would pass eachother on the road when I drove to school my senior year). It's good to catch up, give hugs, and see familiar faces that bring back so many treasured memories. I'm thankful for my homelife, my high school, my friends, and I wouldn't want it any other way.
This week will be busy with work (back at ol' SNS) and another school presentation tomorrow. (I really can't wait to sleep in, I honestly don't know how I did it in high school.) Between the holiday, or is it Christmas....anyway, between the shopping, work, and catching up with friends, I'll be busy, but enjoying every minute of it. I make sure to post pictures of the excitement. It's good to be home in several ways, even though the Boro holds some of my heart as well.
It's over and out for now, but if I don't stop in before the big 25, here's a warm Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Pennsylvania!
True to nature, I arrive to the school barely on time- classic. Since the redneck parents were going down the side street that I was trying to climb up on and not giving me a chance to gun it, I had to made a quick turn into the senior parking lot rather than parking farther up on the hill in the faculty parking lot, which is essentially closer to the building. That's what you get for being late, and not going down the next side street that the buses take, duh!
No worries for me, I arrived with plenty of time and visited the guidance office. The guidance counselor, S, and I have kept in contact since my departure to college. In fact, she attended EUP for a year, I believe, and was also the first one that introduced me to Edinboro and what they had to offer me, a confused senior distraught from the decisions she didn't know how to answer. S is a great counselor, and I had the oppritunity to spend most of the day with her, getting to know her more in the realm of her life rather than the 8 - 3 job she has.
The presentations went well. The first class, an AP class, was most influential in my opinion. They were very receptive and friendly, interested in what I was speaking about. I found some of the other students in the later two classes to stare around the room, some never even making eye contact with me and instead glued their eyesockets to the desk infront of them, some watched me intently. Interesting how various people listen, or don't listen. Oh well, hehe.
Going around the school was like a flash back in time. It felt as if no time was lost, nothing had majorly changed for me to feel a sense of disconnection with the school. As I took a walk around in my teacher-like clicky heels I discovered that the smells were the same, the paint was still peeling, and some of the teachers looked exactly the same as if the tap water contains some of the fountian of youth, but knowing what the tap what is like, I know that must not be it. I enjoyed my time in high school as a teen; I savored the moments because I was aware that they were numbered. I do the same with college, but I wish college would last a little longer, I enjoyed som much this past semester.
Of course, I answered the question "what are you doing here" about 50 bazzilion times. Thankfully I had my Highland Ambassador shirt on to keep people on their toes that I wasn't some foregin intruder who was stalking them. (I did have to sign in when I entered the building and recieved a visitors badge, but "forgot" to put it on ;) ) It was great to talk to the teachers, get a quick update, say my hello's and warm wishes, the whole shebang. Teachers and I have a pretty close relationship, closer than the average student who takes the tests and leaves. I enjoy knowing a little about their lives, their family, hobbies, quarks, et cetera. No, I really am not a stalker, but I loved talking to the adults in high school because sometimes they were great mentors, friends persay, and probably one of the reasons I recieved the faculty scholarship when I graduated. Shocked, of course, when I awarded, but not dumbfounded to why they would choose me - they knew me when I got to know them. As S told me herself at the visit "We liked to choose good people for the award and send a message that it's not all about grades." Wow. I remained speechless, I didn't know what to say.
I can't imagine being a teacher, it kind of seems like a grind. You know, the whole "pour yourself out to students with all your intellect and wisdom and hope everything goes well". It's a shame that more students don't come back and thank their teachers because it's nice to see that their efforts weren't in vain, but then again, if you're a teacher, getting thanks doesn't matter to you. In fact, it doesn't matter what your profession is - thanks should not be a reason. It's the passion, the "oomph", the love, dedication - there isn't even a word to describe it. It's God given, and you use it to His glory.
Of course I had to make a pit stop outside at the end of the day and see my old busdriver, A. What a loser, haha. Actually, that's an inside joke between us. (We give each other the loser sign on our foreheads when we would pass eachother on the road when I drove to school my senior year). It's good to catch up, give hugs, and see familiar faces that bring back so many treasured memories. I'm thankful for my homelife, my high school, my friends, and I wouldn't want it any other way.
This week will be busy with work (back at ol' SNS) and another school presentation tomorrow. (I really can't wait to sleep in, I honestly don't know how I did it in high school.) Between the holiday, or is it Christmas....anyway, between the shopping, work, and catching up with friends, I'll be busy, but enjoying every minute of it. I make sure to post pictures of the excitement. It's good to be home in several ways, even though the Boro holds some of my heart as well.
It's over and out for now, but if I don't stop in before the big 25, here's a warm Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Pennsylvania!
posted by Lindsay K. at 5:56 PM
1 Comments:
Merry Christmas Lindsay! Sorry I have been gone for so long. It is amazing that no matter how long we have been away from high school everything stays the same. I still get that feeling of being a student every time I walk in the door.
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