It is what it is.

After a year off, I've realized I've missed writing. A former teacher of mine used to say, "Susan, you sweat blood when you write," meaning of course, that it was hard for me.  So I know how my students feel sometimes. However, I also know that I can't help them, if I don't also write.  So with that said, it's time to start a new year with a new post.

     My niece has always been thin. Like “thin as a rail” thin.  It’s in her genes.  I, on the other hand, am not that thin. I owe my body shape to my genes too (thanks mom!), and like most people, I have obsessed about my weight and shape and size at some time or another. But when I start to worry too much, I remember the wise words of Oprah: at some point, you have to accept your body as it is.  Although I can make healthy food choices and exercise regularly, I will never be thin as a rail, and that’s okay.

     I’m thinking about this because we started our junior college classes last week, and my students must begin to acknowledge where they are.  Just like I will never be as thin as my niece, a GPA isn’t going to change all that much in one semester.  Don’t misunderstand: there are still things juniors can do. Grade trends are important, so being able to show growth in your English or math grade can make a difference. Taking a fourth year of Spanish can illustrate your willingness to challenge yourself. But at the end of the day, students have to start the search from where they are.  As we like to say, “it is what it is,” and that’s okay too.

     My students work really hard. They take a minimum of five classes a day, and most take six. They graduate with far more credits than required, and almost all of them spend their afternoons on athletic fields or the stage, and they volunteer at any number of local organizations.  They do research at our nearby university, they start poetry workshops, they advocate for human rights. They are photographers, dancers, entrepreneurs, daughters, and friends. They are amazing young women, and one of my favorite parts of my job is writing about them.

     As this new class of juniors begins their college search in earnest, I will help them package and present themselves through a college application.  But I also hope to help them understand that a GPA does not define who they are any more than their size does.  They have plenty of time to grow and develop, to try on different occupations and personas, to discover who they will be. Without damaging my own health, I can no more be as thin as my niece, then they can do it all.

     At the end of the day, I hope my students will look for colleges that fit the wonderful and imperfect young women they are, not the other way around. The future is waiting, no matter what size and shape it is.