Class of 2022- High School Parents

[caroline5177]

I searched and didn’t see a thread for high school parents of the class of 2022.
If there’s one out there point me that way. I do see ‘21 and ‘23.

I’m a member of a couple similar Facebook groups and have enjoyed connecting with folks around the US. A board here would be great too! I would love to connect and chat about the ins and outs of course load, SAT/ACT, extracurriculars, college admission, first jobs, driving, etc.

My oldest is a sophomore so it’s all new to me! He’s kicking around the idea of swimming in college so that adds another element to navigating high school and the college search. I also have a 13 yo daughter.

 

[Klayfish]

I've got a class of '22 myself, my oldest son. School isn't his favorite topic, but he now has a girlfriend and she seems to be whipping him into shape (she's very much into academics). My son is a lacrosse player and hoping to find a college where he can continue to play. We're just starting to go down that recruiting road. He's not a D1 athlete, it's just reality. So we're going to focus on DII and DIII schools.

He's also contemplating going to a vocational school. He likes cars and is taking Auto Shop 101 in high school right now. He's loving it. If that's what he ultimately decides he wants to do, DW and I are 100% behind him. I'm into cars too, so the apple didn't fall far from the tree.

He has his learners permit and is now driving with either DW or myself. No real challenges or issues to speak of. He's doing well. He's also trying to learn to drive stick shift, which isn't going quite as smoothly, but I have faith he'll get there.

We'd love for him to get a job, and he's going to have to at some point. But right now it's hard. He doesn't drive on his own and lacrosse plus school work take up a lot of time. We're trying to help him find something he can do for 10-12 hours per week, just to make a few bucks.

 

[design_mom]

My daughter is a sophomore. I also have a son who's a freshman in college. I'm feeling a *little* more prepared this time.

My daughter got her learner's permit a month or so ago. She's doing reasonably well but isn't comfortable going on "busy roads" yet and we have not even tried the freeway. I would like her to take driver's ed classes within the next month or so, but we'll see how that fits into her schedule. She's doing surprisingly well in high school -- in elementary and middle school, she did NOT like school, but she's made honor roll each term in high school.

For extra curriculars, she's in Marching Band and Track & Field. Track started winter conditioning before marching band was even over, so it keeps her pretty busy. She's excited because the marching band gets to go to London, England next year to march in their New Year's Day parade. She plays percussion. In track, she throws discus and shot put. Everyone's always surprised by that because she's pretty tiny and when she throws, she looks like a ballerina (she used to dance)-- but she's actually one of the better throwers on the team. We're not expecting any college offers or anything though. She's not THAT good. I think she took up throwing because she wanted to join the track team but decided she hates to run.

She's taking the ACT for the first time tomorrow. She's going into it 'cold' (no prep, etc.) just to see how she does. Historically, high-stakes testing has not been her strong suit... so I'm a little worried, but not trying to let that show. On the other hand, my son got excellent test scores (his test scores were better than his GPA would probably to lead you to believe...but I think his GPA could have been better if he had been motivated Freshman/Sophomore year. He wasn't, but he really kicked it into gear junior and senior years). His test scores got earned him a nice merit scholarship. I just hope DD's don't hinder her.

She is not sure what she wants to study in college yet. She's thinking something healthcare-related -- but not doctor or nurse. She's applying to a summer camp that investigates different jobs in the healthcare industry -- things like physical therapy, respiratory therapy, what kind of jobs are done in the lab, etc, etc... but it's super-competitive to get into (but it's free if you're picked), so I don't know what her chances are. She also recently mentioned "maybe something in cybersecurity" which came out of left field for me. She's never shown a particular interest in computers before -- so I talked her into signing up for a computer science class at her high school for next year to see if it's something she likes.

 

[caroline5177]

Hi! I'm so glad to read your posts and "meet" you.

@Klayfish I think lacrosse is one of the few sports my son didn't try out and it's pretty popular around here (we are in upstate SC). Agree about D1- doubt that will happen and honestly he doesn't really know where he wants to go. I love that your son is into cars. My grandpa had his own auto repair shop after working for Ford Motor for many years. I have a thing for classic cars myself.

@design_mom Let us know how the ACT goes. My son has taken the PSAT in school but we haven't signed him up for either SAT or ACT yet. How fun about going to London! Has she been to Disney for any band trips? My daughter is going to WDW in April with her wind ensemble. I work in healthcare (technically I'm a SAHM mom right now, but worked at a large teaching hospital for ~20 years) and am happy to answer any questions about my field. I'm a medical technologist/clinical laboratory scientist. My specialty was hematology, though I worked in chemistry and in our NICU lab too.

My son swims with a Y team and high school (it's a fall sport here). Agree that between swimming and school he doesn't have any time to work. He is going to go through lifeguard certification and will hopefully be able to get some hours in this summer. He has his restricted license and drives a decent amount though sophomores don't get parking passes at his school so we haven't purchased him a car yet. As far as career interest go, he is on a healthcare track though I'm not 100% convinced that's what he really wants to do. My husband is an accountant and thinks our son would really like data analysis. Cyberscurity has also come up as a possibility. Extracurriculars are a big void at the moment for him, with the exception of being a mentor to a younger swimmer and a few community outreach events that the club swim team does. We've encouraged him to get involved in at least one school related club. We shall see how that goes for his junior year. His grades are pretty good though he is like me and is a major procrastinator and does the bare minimum sometimes. Maybe he needs a girlfriend.

 

[JaxDad]

I'm in! Thanks for starting the thread!

I don't have time now to type a lot of details, but my oldest is a sophomore in an IB program at an excellent magnet school. He is academically very driven. He doesn't do any sports, but he does participate in competitions with the math team and FBLA. He was also his freshmen class president.

His college interests have varied. I think he is currently thinking about engineering, probably at University of Florida, since they have good honors scholarship programs and we did pre-pay back when he was still a baby!

He has his drivers permit and a pretty serious girlfriend, who is also a sophomore in the same IB program. He is a great kid, and I'm excited about his future!

 

[design_mom]

Ooh -- once she figures out a little bit more about she wants to do, I would be very interested in finding out more about your career. I think she might enjoy lab work. She's taking a "double block" of honors chemistry and honors biology this year, which should set her up to be able to take AP classes in either of those senior year (if she decides that's something she wants to pursue.)

She does not get to go to Disney with the band. The band apparently does this London trip every 4th year (they have a standing invite to the parade apparently.) The choir, on the other hand, takes a trip every 2nd year. They'll be singing at WDW the day after Thanksgiving this fall. My nieces are in the choir (same school) and are very excited, but my DD is very much looking forward to London. (She loves Disney too, but she's been there... but not to London.) They are encouraging family members to go as well -- there's a separate package for families that includes reserved seating at the band's performance/parade but you're not "with the band" the whole time. So, we might all go.

 

[xlsm]

Hi! My oldest is a sophomore graduating in 2022. I also have a son who's a freshman.

My oldest has always been a good student, but things started slipping and last year he was diagnosed with depression and anxiety and went into inpatient treatment for a week. Just before that happened his grades went into the toilet and it's taken some time to get his meds right, but he's bouncing back academically this year. It's been a loooong and emotionally draining year. He's always been popular with the ladies, and his current girlfriend goes to a high school in a different town about 15 minutes away, but she's very sweet and a good influence. I wish I could convince him to join track, he runs a 7 minute mile without even trying. Imagine if he actually trained!! But he's really good at theater and debate, and that's where he feels most comfortable. He did Odyssey of the Mind in elementary and middle school, so that's no surprise to me (I coached teams for six years)

He has wanted to be a teacher for most of his life, but after all his therapy and psychiatrist appointments, he's interested in going the therapist route. He'd be great at it, he's so good with people and is incredibly self aware. He wants to go to college, but it makes me nervous to think of him going anywhere too far away, but that's mainly b/c of everything he's gone through with his mental health in the past year. Luckily there are a lot of options fairly close to us. We have an SEC school 20 minutes from the house, but I'd rather him go somewhere smaller even if it's farther. He has no interest in driving, which annoys me b/c he's already older than many of the kids in his class because of his birthdate (the cutoff for kindergarten is August 1, and his bday is August 8). I told him he doesn't have a choice much longer, I want both boys to take their permit tests over spring break, then they can take the driving test in August or September. I don't care if they actually drive, but they need to know how at least!

He's a good kid, and everything we've had to deal with has made me rethink so much about what is and isn't important regarding school, and which classes the boys take, all that kind of stuff. I am the president of a non-profit and we give a scholarship each year, so going over the applications year after year would always make me think, "are my kids behind on this, that, and the other? Are they doing enough community service? Are they taking hard enough classes?" and now I know that none of that matters in the long run. I'd rather him enjoy what he takes and WANT to do well vs. taking classes he thinks he's supposed to and stressing out over grades. Live and learn, right?

Nice to "meet" you all!! Sounds like some exceptional kiddos in this class of 2022

 

[design_mom]

hugs, @xlsm -- I just wanted to say that I understand some of your concerns about your son -- my son (now 19) also struggles. I had many of the same concerns you mention -- including being torn between him going to the huge university nearby (Big 10 in our case) vs a smaller one farther away. Each choice comes with its own set worries. My son's therapist compared depression/anxiety to a "black dog." It's always there, but sometimes it's a little dog that you can tuck under your arm and go on about your day. And sometimes it's a big, black mastiff that sits on your chest. He still struggles sometimes, but the coping strategies he's learned have helped him keep the dog small most of the time. I still worry that something's going to backslide, but he has done REALLY well in his first semester of college. I'm sure I don't know exactly what you're going through, but just wanted to say I can empathize and I hope for a good path for your family.

 

[xlsm]

hugs, @xlsm -- I just wanted to say that I understand some of your concerns about your son -- my son (now 19) also struggles. I had many of the same concerns you mention -- including being torn between him going to the huge university nearby (Big 10 in our case) vs a smaller one farther away. Each choice comes with its own set worries. My son's therapist compared depression/anxiety to a "black dog." It's always there, but sometimes it's a little dog that you can tuck under your arm and go on about your day. And sometimes it's a big, black mastiff that sits on your chest. He still struggles sometimes, but the coping strategies he's learned have helped him keep the dog small most of the time. I still worry that something's going to backslide, but he has done REALLY well in his first semester of college. I'm sure I don't know exactly what you're going through, but just wanted to say I can empathize and I hope for a good path for your family.

Thank you! The past year has been rough, mainly what I've been putting myself through - isn't that usually the way when you're a parent? LOL! It's so hard not to think about the "what ifs", but he's doing well now! The fear of the backslide will probably always be with me, but I'm learning to not focus on the fear all the time. I'm proud of how he's handling everything!
He's doing a good job bouncing back and learning to be proactive when he's having a bad day.

I'm so happy your son is having a great first semester!! It must be a relief and a joy to see him overcoming a struggle and thriving. That's all we can ever ask for!!

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

This is where I belong! My oldest (of 4) is also class of 2022 (I also have one right behind in 2023). I can’t be the only one in complete disbelief we’re already staring down high school graduation? In any case, thanks for starting this thread!

My DD will be 16 next month and will be getting her drivers license the same time. It’s been an experience, but she’s a pretty good driver. She did take a defensive driving course at the racetrack by us and it did so much for her - if you have anything like that around you, I highly recommend it.

She is a classically trained ballerina, with a little bit of jazz, modern, contemporary thrown in. She has excelled in it, but is reaching that point where she has to decide if she wants to continue past high school. It seems to change all the time; it’s taken a toll on her body, but she’s also been told she could easily get accepted on a dance scholarship. So I think for now, she’s considering a double major in dance and criminal justice. She is undecided on where she wants to go school though (no idea on big vs small, public vs private, in state or out), so we have some thinking to do coming up here.

Average student; does good but definitely not the top. Because she dances 20-30 hours/week, no job.

Nice to meet all of you! Happy to have this place to share info.

 

[caroline5177]

Welcome @JaxDad , @xlsm and @DisneyJamieCA !
I love reading how unique our kids are and agree @xlsm that we have some exceptional kiddos.
Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

 

[caroline5177]

My son is looking to lifeguard some this summer. He's working on a resume (required for this particular company)....not much to add as a sophomore. Trying to fill in the blanks with volunteer and school activities.
Is your son or daughter planning to work this summer?

Brings back memories! My first "real" job was working at a local amusement park in food service.

 

[Jedimom33]

SO happy to find this thread. Our daughter is in the Class of 2022! She's still not gotten her permit, but will soon (hopefully) Almost all of her friends have theirs, and a couple who have already turned 16 are driving! Last week, for the first time, her friend drove herself over. I was stressed for her, so I don't know how in the world I'm going to handle it when it's my daughter out there! Do hope to get a smaller car before then, right now we just have a truck and a van, hope to get a Subaru. ( My older son didn't drive right away either. ) She's in marching band and loves that, well likes it a lot, mostly because her friends are in it, and they get to spend a lot of time together. It's a TON of work, especially in the Fall. This was her first year doing it, and her grades took a hit, but are mostly back on track now. She's also interested in something in the medical field...not sure what, probably something like PT or OT, or maybe speech therapy. Just not sure. Here in this county, they make you take a 'focus' in high school, which may be great for some kids who absolutely know what they want to do, but I don't like it. I think she should be able to try some different things, but once you pick a focus, you have to take so many classes in it, etc, so you're kind of on that path. Doesn't allow for a lot of electives/wiggle room. But it does allow for practical classes/ labs, etc. if you are sure you're doing a certain. thing. Anyway, one of her top priorities and something she talks about all the time is doing the college program at Disney. I sure hope when the time comes for that, she gets chosen, and gets a job she'll love. Anyway, thanks for starting this thread! I hope to come here often for peace of mind when it comes to her driving, working, college prep exams, etc....so much happening in the next couple years!!!

 

[sam_gordon]

DS is Class of 2022. He has his permit, goes for his license in April (if we let him ). He's a soccer player and wants to play in college. I think he can play D1, but will probably do D2 or D3. We can't get him to decide on anything. He doesn't know what he wants to study (MAYBE physical therapy). He doesn't know where he wants to go to college. We tell him about soccer ID camps that are available and he's just "meh" about them. His grades are OK. A's & B's. He could probably do better, but why put extra pressure on him?

He and his GF (also 2022) have been dating for almost 18 months now. That has me a little concerned because I don't know how physical they're getting.

He is a licensed soccer referee and makes some money doing that in the spring & fall.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

My son is looking to lifeguard some this summer. He's working on a resume (required for this particular company)....not much to add as a sophomore. Trying to fill in the blanks with volunteer and school activities.
Is your son or daughter planning to work this summer?

Brings back memories! My first "real" job was working at a local amusement park in food service.

To be honest, I hadn't given a summer job much thought because her dance schedule takes up so much time - even over the summer. But after reading this, I got to thinking that there are still some jobs that she could do that could easily work around that. When I brought it up to her, she seemed interested. So thank you! She'll get her license in about 10 days and I'd like to see her put some responsibility with that like a job. And she'll like the cash! Now to find places that have evening/weekend hours and are ok with it being just a summer job. I suggested the movie theater, which is where I worked in high school and she didn't say no, but made it clear it wouldn't be her first choice.

 

[caroline5177]

Hi-
Despite lots of social distancing and time at home, I haven't had a great urge to visit the Disney boards. Was actually supposed to be heading that way tomorrow with my daughter's wind ensemble. We do have a trip scheduled for November so that's a huge plus!
My kids are out of school til the end of April, and I anticipate that will be extended. Maybe even the whole year.

Hope you all are staying safe and healthy!

How are things in your corner of the world?

 

[caroline5177]

Welcome @Jedimom33 and @sam_gordon !

@DisneyJamieCA , looks like lots of summer jobs may be on hold. My son has a lifeguard training that's lined up for the end of the month and I don't see that taking place. My nephew worked at a movie theater last summer and I don't think it was his first choice either, but he seemed to like it.

 

[JaxDad]

My Class of 2022 son started distance learning last week. From what I've seen, the school district is doing a nice job making the most of this.

He missed the state FBLA competition and a math team trip, so that was disappointing. It looks like AP tests will be online and essay only. He was not too happy about that, but he's preparing the best he can.

He applied for a summer camp in Colorado the last week of June. I'm guessing it will get cancelled, but hope it might just get postponed. He was really looking forward to it, and I was thinking of going out with him and my daughter, and she and I would make a little vacation of it.

Take care everyone!

 

[caroline5177]

How's everyone?!
My son started his lifeguard job yesterday and is working today too. Just 4 hours each day for these first shifts.
His club swim team is back in the water....started last week with extensive protocols...temp checks, limited numbers in the pool area, etc.
We are done with e-learning within the next couple weeks and it will be interesting to see how the summer goes.
Happy Memorial Day!

 

[descovy]

Ok, I’ll bite. My youngest is a 2022. Also have a 2020 and a 2018.

She has a late summer birthday, no permit yet. She’s totally rocked the social distancing. And loves having the house to herself. The other 4 of us still work essential jobs. She’d like to work this summer too, but being 15 makes it hard.

She’s in yearbook and theater. She will be the last one home next year, and that will be weird for us all!