Karen Makes It To High School

Front of Karen's High School

The Entryway of Karen's High School

Karen has made it to High School. Yeah, Karen.  I am very proud of you.  This year was really tough for you, I know that.  However, with perseverance, belief in yourself, improved self-esteem, love for yourself, teachers and friends, pride in your school you conquered the odds of succeeding after missing the previous year and the trauma that you went through. You became a tough cookie and found that there were a lot of people out there pulling for you whenever you needed that extra word of encouragement. You found you were not in this world alone and that your school, teachers and friends had your back.  Pat yourself on that back because you have just entered the next phase of your life. 

In High School you will expand your knowledge of the world around you in not only academics, but in friendship, faith in yourself and others, love for your school and mascot as a member of the theatre arts department and athletics.  You will make loads of friends here for the next four years. Many friends will come and go as you will soon discover the difference between friends and acquaintances. You will go after your potential and at times it will be tough to do as you will be bogged down with just developing your real interests, making new friends, discovering life and it's many challenges and joy, and learning to be a team player on the tennis court.  In High School you will go to dances, learn to work on that first job, one day drive to school and learn who Karen is and has become. And, if you and John continue to date and be the best of friends, you will both graduate together.

Karen and John

You will discover new interests, new friends, new ways to do things, nuances of life and love and just being a High School teenager that I hope you enjoy as you will no longer be able to repeat the excitement that only you can absorb and relish.

This isn't much because it is 4am in the morning when I'm writing this.  But, I wanted to congratulate you again. Karen, you came through a tough time in your life.  You were thrown in 3 different residences in the last year. I enrolled you in one of the toughest Junior High Schools here in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area where you fail if you have anything less than a C. Karen you did it. Karen, through your courage and hard work (your teachers and counselors noted that and was proud of you for that), you made it through. You came into this school a year behind and passed every class, including math.  You did this on your own because you had to do it to make it to High School. You are a winner. 

If you take this self-esteem and confidence you have into High School, you will succeed there as well.  It will be a tough transition. But, your Junior High's standards set you on the course for the higher standards required by your High School.  This High School is also a high performing high school.  It is a top High School in the area in which they expect a lot from their students. It is rated by Texas Education Agency as an exemplary campus, since the 1997-1998 school year, the school has received an exemplary rating based on data from the TAAS testing and PIEMS report. You will achieve your highest potential, if you follow through and apply yourself there like you did in Junior High.

Karen after missing 7th grade and making it through 8th grade a year behind your fellow students, I know you can achieve your High School diploma. You can and will do it.  You have the potential to do it. I am so very proud of the student and young woman you have become. Again, Congratulations on graduating onto High School. I love you so much! MUM