Change is Tough

 As I continue my series on the book "Callings" by Gregg Levoy, I will take a quote from that book that has special meaning today. He states, "Life changes. By trying to shelter ourselves from change, we isolate ourselves from living." Any time we have to make a change in life or are faced with a change in something we are used to, it is difficult. It is difficult for many reasons. We can easily find ourselves comfortable in our work situation or in a life situation and we tend to stay there. We contemplate making a change but yet we aren't quite sure of what the outcome will be. We fear losing our everyday routine and everything that comes with it. However, when we do that, we do isolate ourselves from really living. We miss out on opportunities that await us and challenges that will make us grow and find out who we really are. 

As many of you may know, I was an automotive engineer for over 15 years. I enjoyed my job tremendously and was moving up the "corporate ladder". I had to travel a lot in this position and that made me realize I was missing out on raising my children and being around them for their school activities. I had to make a decision to change my entire career and leave something that I was very familiar with and comfortable with. However, by following my calling, I was led to become a school counselor here at Vantage Career Center. I can tell you right now, that was the best decision of my life and one I will never regret. 

However, this blog isn't about me today. I want to talk a little about Alaina Ellis, our high school secretary. Alaina was faced with an opportunity that would force her to leave a place she loves to work at and has found comfort in her job. She absolutely loves the students and does whatever she can to help them. Alaina is no pushover though. I have to laugh at some of the times I have been up in the front office and Alaina is being very strict with a student and not really buying any of their excuses. She does this because she knows the student can do better and she wants the best for them. I don't have enough space in this blog to write about all the help she gives me on a daily basis. The kindness, the extra effort and going above and beyond her job description just to make our school better. I know Mr. Darrell Miller, Mr. Winans and Mrs. Gillett would all say the same thing, she makes their job a lot easier.

Alaina will be leaving us this coming Tuesday. She has a great opportunity to work alongside her husband and spending even more time with her family. This was not an easy decision for Alaina because of her love for the staff and students here at Vantage. However, through a lot of prayers and discussion with family, she has decided to make that change and not isolate herself from living. We can all learn from Alaina and others who have ventured off to try something scary or different. If I could say one thing to our students, that would be to never fear change. Change is difficult but it can open up so many doors for you and help you to really start living.

In closing, thank you Alaina for all you do. Thank you for the support and the love you showed our students. Finally, thank you for making my job so much easier and being able to trust you with so many confidential things we deal with. I will miss saying good morning as I walk in everyday. Take care,

Don't Fear

 I have noticed that while speaking with students this year, many of them say they are afraid of going to college or they are afraid of starting a new job. This is totally understandable and pretty common for a lot of people. Whenever we face something that is not familiar to us, we approach it with apprehension. We are not sure where it will lead us or what the future will look like. I have heard statements like "What if college is a lot harder than high school and I don't make it?", or "What if I get thrown into something at work and I can't handle it?" First of all, I think we need to take a breath and put things into perspective. 

Yes, when you seniors graduate, you will find a whole new world out there. Things will be different and maybe at times a little scary. But remember, you have faced a lot of uncertainties in your lifetime and have come through in the end. How many of you were afraid to come to Vantage because you wouldn't know anybody or you wouldn't make any friends? You visited this building for the first time and thought to yourself that it was so much bigger than your old school and you would be lost coming here. You possibly were afraid of the cafeteria and where you would sit. You wondered if you would have any friends in your lunch period. All of these things were scary, but whenever I speak with the students after they have been here awhile, they all say the same things...they are so glad they came to Vantage and coming here was the best move they ever made. 

As you may recall, I am continuing my series on the book "Callings" by Gregg Levoy. I like to take a quote from the book and expound on it. Today's quote is:

    "...there is no failure. Or rather, failure is already assumed. I'm going to die and be a million years dead, and anyone who might possibly judge me for my pursuits and mistakes will be a fossil right next to mine in that Cliffside."

See, we can't be afraid of trying new things because we are afraid we may fail and people will laugh at us. It doesn't matter what other people think. If you try something and fail, then learn from it and move on. Don't worry that others think you failed or not. Everyone knows that Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, but he also failed 1000 times before it worked. Thomas Edison once said, "I have not failed 10,000 times - I've successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work." Imagine if you would have let your fear stop you from coming to Vantage. Think of all the opportunities you would have missed. All of the credentials and skills that you wouldn't have obtained. 

Don't let the fear of failure rob you of those opportunities that are ahead of you. Grab your future and everything that comes with it and then run with it. Put yourself 100% into everything that you do and never be afraid to try something different. Remember, anyone that laughs at your mistakes isn't really worth worrying about. The future is yours and I am excited to see what you will do with it.

Help Now

 On September 29th, Vantage Career Center will be getting very involved in the Day of Caring here in Van Wert county. In fact, Vantage has been so involved in that day, that it has been renamed The United Way Vantage Day of Caring".  For 25 years, the United Way has run one of the biggest food drives of the year, the Vantage Day of Caring. This is a local food drive that the area schools and businesses support. Many local schools will be accepting donations until Thursday, September 28 and classes frequently compete to bring in the most donations. There will be food barrels all around town and the public is encouraged to fill them. This weekend, Walmart and Chiefs will have trucks by their entrances from 10 am - 4 pm. You will see many of our Vantage students there helping out. This is a great time to volunteer, help where needed,or donate items to this cause.

So why am I mentioning this when in my earlier blogs I spoke about using the book written by Gregg Levoy, "Callings". Well, if you remember, I want to challenge you to think about the quotes I give you and see how they can apply to your life. Are you following your calling? Is an event calling us to do something that may change us or open our hearts to something we never thought about. I believe the Vantage Day of Caring is just the type of volunteer opportunity that may change you. The quote I am using today is: 

"If we wait to tend to suffering until we've dealt with our own, we'll never get around to wiping away so much as a single teardrop of anyone else's."

I've heard so many people say things like, "I really don't know what to say to them, I have never lost a parent". Or, "I'm not sure I can talk to them about suicide, I just don't understand why someone would contemplate that". I believe the quote is stating that we don't have to go through what that person is experiencing in order to comfort them. We don't have to lose a parent to put our arm around someone that did. We don't have to be afraid of telling a friend you are there for them if they are contemplating suicide. We also don't have to be homeless or living without food in order to help those that are. The Vantage Day of Caring is a great way to help those who are in need. You will be helping people that you don't even know and feeding starving children that you will never meet. When you volunteer or donate to this cause, I promise you, you will be blessed more than those that receive. You will see how many people in this community really care about others and how many people want to help others. Don't always watch the news, it can get depressing. Volunteer and you will see how much good there really is in this world, especially our community. Don't be afraid to do something you have never done before, just help now and watch yourself grow. 

What is your Calling?

     As I mentioned in my previous blog, I wanted to try something new this year as I write this blog. I wanted to challenge you and have you think about where you are going in life, what career are you choosing for yourself and are you following your calling. My inspiration for this comes from a great friend and mentor I have known for over 18 years now. Mr. Dave Myers was my mentor when I started here at Vantage. He was the school counselor that I would be taking over for the following year. I was privileged to work with him for a full year while I was doing my internship. Dave was a true inspiration to me and I continue to use so many of the tools that he left me with. Before Dave left, he had me read a book called "Callings" by Gregg Levoy. I highly recommend that you pick this book up and take the time to read it. The book ask the question, How do we know if we are following our true callings? How do we sharpen our senses to cut through the distractions of everyday life and hear the calls that are beckoning us?

Callings is the first book to examine the many kinds of calls we receive, and the great variety of channels through which they come to us. A calling may be to do something (change careers, go back to school, start or leave a relationship, etc), or it calls us to be something (more creative, less judgmental, more loving). Every student here at Vantage has answered the call to venture out in their educational career and try something new, something different. You have decided that you want to pursue a career field that interest you and that you want to get ahead of your former classmates by earning skills in that field. I want you to know that the staff here at Vantage will do everything possible to help you reach your goals. We will work with you to earn those skills that you need to land a great career or further your education in college. However, we need you to work alongside of us. We need you to come to school everyday, work hard, get along with others and obey the rules. Be a leader. Get involved. Avoid the drama. Together we can make these final years of your high school career be the best ever. 

Throughout this year, I will take quotes from the "Callings" book and post them in this blog. Quotes that I think will help you grow and give you something to ponder. The quote I want to highlight today is something I want you to  think about as you meet new students in your classes or if you are looking for a place to sit at lunch. The quote is: "When you wonder about a group of people who are different from you, find someone from that group and ask them to teach you." Find out about their background, their nationality, their home school, etc. I think you will find you have more in common than you think and you may just make a friend for life. 

Thanks for reading and have a great school year. We will hopefully grow a little more in the next blog. 

  

Welcome Students

 I would like to start out by saying welcome to all of our students for the 2023/2024 school year. I am excited to welcome back our seniors and also to meet all the new juniors this year. I have to admit that it has been awhile since I wrote my last blog. I just feel that I got so busy with everything going on that I just never took the time to write very much last year. I have promised myself that I will try to write a new blog at least once a month. 

I am hoping that our seniors have a great year and accomplish everything they set out to do. This year will go by very fast for you, so please take your time and truly enjoy each and every day. Get involved in as much as you can. Enter the competitions for your program and see if you can make it to state. Go out of your way to meet a few new people this year, you may end up with a friend for life. Work hard in all your classes, even the ones you may not need for graduation, it will pay off in the long run. Be a leader around the school campus by being respectful and caring. Make this year a year that you can be proud of and one that you will look back on and be glad that you didn't waste it. Most of all though, I hope you truly enjoy each and every day that you are here at Vantage. 

For the juniors: I know that you will be a little anxious at first, but just relax. You will discover that Vantage is a wonderful place to learn and to be a part of. Reach out to your teachers, the staff or the counselors whenever you have a question or concern. I promise you that within a few weeks you will call Vantage your home. Follow the rules, respect others and work hard. That is a pretty simple request and yet it will give you so much fun and enjoyment as you develop your career skills and prepare yourself for the workforce or college. I realize that you are making quite a change in your education by choosing Vantage, but I know it is a decision that you will not regret. I have been here at Vantage for a long time and I see the positive changes in the students every year. You will come in as young juniors and not real sure about your future or career path, and then in two short years you will walk out these doors with a great paying job and a career or be heading off to college. Thank you for choosing Vantage

In closing, I am looking forward to this school year and I hope you are too. I hope you will continue reading my blog throughout the year as I have an interesting idea that I think you will enjoy. As always, please stop by the counseling office anytime you wish to talk to someone or just want to vent. We have a great student services staff that is always willing to help you. Until next time, take care and have fun.