As high school seniors travel through the final year, they encounter many opportunities to be defined. How will he be remembered? What will her friends and teachers say about her when she’s gone? She could be the lead in the school's musical. He could be voted “Best Hair in the Senior Class.” As the year progresses, the stress only mounts. How can a high school senior leave a mark on the school? Traditionally the prom court and academic superstars are given special recognition. However, there will be a new prom king and valedictorian every single year. Do these definitions then actually carry any uniqueness?
Maybe a particularly good senior quote will be remembered. When yearbooks are handed out the last week of school, seniors will anxiously flip through the pages to find the senior quotes they and their friends agonized over for hours back in the fall before the submission deadline. Some of the quotes will garner laughs. Some will trigger groans at the cliché or commonality. But the seniors will read the quotes once and then close the books.
What, then, is a high school graduate supposed to display at his or her open house? This open house is the one and only chance to lay out his certificates, medals, and pictures to prove he accomplished something in high school.
A lot is riding on that open house, in fact. The number of people who show up determines how popular the graduate was in high school. The length of time those people stay at the open house determines how entertaining the graduate is in relation to every other graduate hosting their open house that day.
Right?
No. None of that means anything.
High school is a launching pad for the rest of life. It’s a protected environment to practice the skills needed to succeed in life, such as getting along with others and showing up on time. During this time, seniors should be practicing for the rest of their lives by applying for jobs and taking responsibility for their actions. The life experiences of high school could lay the groundwork for how someone approaches the rest of his or her life. It’s an incubator for potential.
The beautiful thing about potential is that it can’t be measured.
Potential isn’t constrained by titles or awards, and it certainly isn’t tracked on any paper. The number of people who attend a graduate’s open house has no correlation to the possibilities ahead of the graduate.
The potential to make a great discovery, give powerful and moving speeches, or negotiate peace can’t be measured. The potential to be an inspiring mentor, coach, or parent can’t be set in stone during someone’s time in high school.
It certainly can’t be determined by any title or award given in high school. Potential can’t be defined at all. A high school graduate certainly can’t be defined either.
