Opportunities Expire

We are now ending our second week of school and people are getting situated with their new schedules. For our Juniors, everything is new. They are in a new building, new classes, new teachers and new people who are strangers to many of them. During the first two weeks of school I often have to speak with several students who would like to go back to their home school because they just aren't comfortable around here. They state that they miss the comfort of their home school and they miss their friends. I do understand that thinking. After all, most of our students have been in the same school for 10 years now.  However, what I tell them and what I want any of our students to know is, to just hang in there and within a very short time you will begin to feel comfortable in your new surroundings.

Throughout all my years at Vantage I recall many students thanking me for talking them into staying here at Vantage. The friends they made here are the ones they now hang out with since they graduated. They tell me they really felt like a family while they were here. I don't have any research except my own experience, but I believe that it takes about two weeks to become comfortable in a new setting. That is why I try so hard to have the students push through those two weeks and then see how they are feeling. If you are one of those students who is uncomfortable, I hope you continue to push through those "strange" feelings and make it a goal to see how successful you can become while you are at Vantage.

I read a book this summer by Bob Goff and one of the things he mentioned in the book was that "all opportunities come with expiration dates. If you don't grasp the opportunity in front of you, it's likely going to go away at some point". I believe that all of you new Juniors have some great opportunities in front of you. The sky is the limit to what you can accomplish in your life. Your road to success begins right here at Vantage. Please don't let this opportunity pass you by, you may never get it back.

I truly believe that strangers are just friends you haven't met yet. If you are uncomfortable, probably your classmate next to you is also. Talk to them and get to know them. Meet new friends at the lunch table or invite someone sitting alone to sit with you. If you take just a few minutes to talk to a stranger, I believe you may have a friend for life. This is a great choice you made to attend Vantage, use it to fulfill your dreams, but please don't let this opportunity expire.

Welcome Students

Let me start by saying welcome to a new school year here at Vantage Career Center. We just finished our orientations for all new students. We held the Trade & Industry program orientation on Monday night and the Business & Service orientation on Tuesday night. We have also had the seniors coming in and picking up their schedules. Wow! What a busy last couple of days but it has been nice to see the seniors again and have the chance to chat with them and see how their summer has been going. It always amazes me how hard so many of them worked over the summer. Some of the students told me they held down two jobs over the summer. I hope many of you were able to take some time off and relax and get ready for your final year of high school.

The last couple of nights I had the chance to welcome our new students to Vantage. That is always an interesting time as they are getting measured for uniforms, meeting their instructors and trying to find their classrooms. So many commented that the building is so big that they will never find their way around. That's funny because we hear that every year and within a week or two, the juniors feel like this is home already. I promise you that you will feel the same way. Don't worry about stumbling around the school for a week or so or being late for your classes, we understand and the staff will be in the hallways to help you find your way.

I hope every student will take the opportunity that you have when you come to Vantage. I have always said that when you choose Vantage, "the slate is clean". By that I mean, whatever you have done in the past at your home school, is in the past. You come here with all new teachers and staff. We don't care if you missed a lot of days before you came here, if you found yourself in trouble or if you struggled earning good grades. What we care about is your attitude when you come to Vantage. We are hoping you will see the awesome opportunities you have by coming here and start a brand new path. Come to school willing and ready to learn, be here everyday and work hard to stand out in your class. Remember, if you miss a day of school here, you are missing 2.5 hours of lab time; that is like missing 3.5 days of your academic class. You can't afford to miss a lot of time in a career school. We are preparing you for college and a career, so we treat you that way. We always get the comments from past students that they really felt they were treated as adults here and they liked that.

For both the Seniors and Juniors, I wish you the best while you are here. There are a lot of employment opportunities available to our graduates. I hope you will stop in and see me during the school year. I look forward to seeing you and helping you with your academics, college or career choices and any social or personal problems you may have. My door is always open. If you see me wandering around your lab, feel free to stop me and talk about your summer break, etc... See you in less than a week.