It's never too late...

Have I told you that I don’t know how to drive? Well, I kind of do now, but I’m a non-teenager, mother of one, with a learner’s permit. Due to a series of life changes that brought me from NYC to almost my hometown in NY, I went from walking/subways to needing to learn how to operate a motor vehicle. Something 16 year old me never imagined nor had any sense of urgency to learn because NYC was always where I knew I wanted to end up in college and life (at least part of it!).

So, I have a doctorate in higher education, a Myers-Briggs certification, am a board certified educational planner and board certified cognitive specialist who holds workshops in schools and libraries—but I can’t drive.

Seems a little odd, doesn’t it?

I could also tell you that I planned on being on Broadway—not assisting students with college prep. Not sure how I made the jump? I did it through a series of progressive steps and pivots, but none that were intentional back when I was in high school.

Now, it’s not that I’m trying to brag (and if you share with your kids, I’m sure many of them are far ahead of me in the driving realm ;) ), I’m just trying to share that people can get to the same end point in different ways, and it’s okay! And, people can diverge from an expected point and end up somewhere they didn’t know would be good for them on day one.

Not all teens need college. Not all teens need to go from high school to college immediately. Not all teens find their 4 year degree to be the one that propels them forward into success.

My lofty ambitions to be on Broadway transformed from a life of auditions to a life of theatre management compounded by daytime pursuits of higher education. Wanting to both work and fill my days, I graduated with my bachelor’s, got my master’s and finally my doctorate in a field that I had intended to combine my theatre work with. But gradually, I realized that what I wanted and what I was good at were two different things. My desire to combine theatre and higher ed as a theatre studies professor would’ve meant countless resume submissions and cover letters to coveted positions (oh, believe me, I’m still interested!) that weren’t opening up as quickly as I needed employment. So I made the pivot. I had always appreciated college prep, I received PD in the field through my doctoral studies, and lived in the Tri-State area where dozens of colleges are always a few footsteps away. I followed the natural curve of my path and ended up where I am now.

Your teen can do the same.

Apply undecided.

Focus too much on that one passion.

Take on as much as you can balance and see where the energy directs.

And, if they can’t do it now, they can do it later. Work now, go for an Associate’s down the line. Go for an Associate’s now, finish the Bachelor’s when things quiet down. Get some credentials under your belt before figuring out what path best represents college tuition. Graduate from a 4 year institution and then add an interdisciplinary approach in grad school.

The possibilities are endless.