Seventeen years ago my then girlfriend dropped a bombshell--she was pregnant. I was so frightened that I cried. How in the world was I going to be responsible for raising another human being? Well I knew one thing, I had to make it right even if we did it all backwards--baby--marriage--job.
This weekend that little baby we brought into the world will graduate from high school--my God how time just flew by!
Much like Archbold's post earlier I too want to brag a bit. With me, there isn't a whole lot in life I managed to do well. A calamity of trial and error seemed to follow me everywhere but in this we, my wife and I, (probably more my wife) raised a fine young gentleman.
My kid is graduating Valedictorian of his class, National Honor Society and recipient of numerous awards, one of which is the John Phillips Sousa award and the coup de grace is the Leslie H Cochran Honors award--a full ride scholarship to YSU!
My boy is a budding musician (trombonist) intent on getting a Music Education degree. He played in the schools' jazz band, been involved with honors bands pulling in kids from around the district, was in marching band for five years and all the fun he has had in doing those things he wants to bring to others. And if he can manage to have a little success much like Clem has . . . well life couldn't be much better.
Here is an article from a Vindicator story that my son was interviewed for about the scholarship to YSU. Forty students were selected. This is the part that quotes my son:
Andrew Stamp, a soon-to-be-Struthers High School graduate, will study music education.
“The music school [at YSU] is fantastic,” he said.
Stamp also looked at other schools.
“I just felt that YSU was a better fit for me,” he said.
The trombone player has worked through his high-school career with some of the YSU professors, so he feels as if he already has a connection to the school.
Though he acknowledges the scholarship’s requirements are strict, he doesn’t believe he would have been accepted into the program if he couldn’t handle it
Quote: Seventeen years ago my then girlfriend dropped a bombshell--she was pregnant. I was so frightened that I cried. How in the world was I going to be responsible for raising another human being? Well I knew one thing, I had to make it right even if we did it all backwards--baby--marriage--job.
This weekend that little baby we brought into the world will graduate from high school--my God how time just flew by!
Much like Archbold's post earlier I too want to brag a bit. With me, there isn't a whole lot in life I managed to do well. A calamity of trial and error seemed to follow me everywhere but in this we, my wife and I, (probably more my wife) raised a fine young gentleman.
My kid is graduating Valedictorian of his class, National Honor Society and recipient of numerous awards, one of which is the John Phillips Sousa award and the coup de grace is the Leslie H Cochran Honors award--a full ride scholarship to YSU!
My boy is a budding musician (trombonist) intent on getting a Music Education degree. He played in the schools' jazz band, been involved with honors bands pulling in kids from around the district, was in marching band for five years and all the fun he has had in doing those things he wants to bring to others. And if he can manage to have a little success much like Clem has . . . well life couldn't be much better.
Here is an article from a Vindicator story that my son was interviewed for about the scholarship to YSU. Forty students were selected. This is the part that quotes my son:
Andrew Stamp, a soon-to-be-Struthers High School graduate, will study music education.
“The music school [at YSU] is fantastic,” he said.
Stamp also looked at other schools.
“I just felt that YSU was a better fit for me,” he said.
The trombone player has worked through his high-school career with some of the YSU professors, so he feels as if he already has a connection to the school.
Though he acknowledges the scholarship’s requirements are strict, he doesn’t believe he would have been accepted into the program if he couldn’t handle it
But...a word of wisdom...you aren't a empty nester yet .Jr. is going to be around a lot. If it goes as my experience has, it's usually going to involve money
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn.
Congrats. My daughter just graduated last week and is off to Bowling Green this fall . Still can't get used to the fact that she will no longer be under our roof ...and she hasn't even left yet.
No, my wife is a juvenile counselor. She has worked in the courts, police departments and a juvenile prison. I myself am a supervisor at a manufacturer and have mostly worked all the off shifts so a lot of times it was like good cop bad cop. LOL
We worked hard to raise him right considering we started off young and on the wrong foot. What has been truly amazing is how much music has influenced him, shaped him and has motivated him to do well academically and socially.
thanks for all the kind words, I just had to toot my horn a bit. Here's the vid of the Best of Class from WFMJ. What's funny is he is grinning from ear to ear which is typical of my son's persona. Just a happy go lucky kid.
First group, of course Andrew is at the bottom left.
I was just joking around. moxdawg was adamant in another thread that the only way to raise kids is have the wife stay home. So, I like to needle it whenever I can.
Schools have limited funds for scholarships... so your son must have really impressed them to receive "The Ride." That's saying a lot.
I was accepted at every school I applied for, but NOT ONE offered a full ride. (I didn't apply to Curtis in Phily- I was too intimidated to try. -btw, Curtis gives full rides to the entire student body, but you have to blow them away to get in, and there are only a handful of openings each year.)
At this point, your son is way ahead of me when I was his age. From my PM's, you know I have his back. Hit me anytime, to talk about what he'll face next-
Daggone, this is good news!
all my best,
Clemzilla (the "bow hair killa")
Congrats, Big Daddy. You deserve to be proud!
p.s.: Tell him he's just earned his probational status membership in Clemdawg's "F-KleFF Posse" ('Airborne' Division)... LOW NOTES RULE!!!
Congradulations on the good decision seventeen years ago, and on your son graduating. May God bless you and your family. My daughter is graduating Thursday, and will join the Air Force later this year. I'm so proud.
blue...congratulations for a job well done...you have good reason to feel proud of your son's accomplishments as well as a sense of pride for doing a good job of parenting...
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