Passionately Managing Life

I bring things to fruition. This summer I got the opportunity to bring one of my passions to life. I am an ideator. I create events, gatherings projects that inspire. A workshop camp for middle and high schoolers. A camp full of choice. Full of different activities to keep kids interested and off the streets during the dangerous hot summer months of Philly. A camp to spark joy.  I taught a balloon class. The purpose of the class was less about perfectly aesthetically pleasing designs and more about giving the kids something new to do. A new skill to learn. Something that wouldn't otherwise be fun but took up the time in summer. They got to build a relationship with an adult and learn how to manage themselves in tense situations (handling balloons with them popping is a skill in patience!) Kids like to participate. Kids like being given praise. Kids like to feel helpful, seen and valued. They want to be paid attention to. The camp offered so many different ways in which our students...

They want to organize college around the life they created during the pandemic. Is this wrong? So in counseling and raising young people that have been impacted by this pandemic like the rest of us I have seen a pattern emerge. More young people aged 16 - 21 are working and not attending college or trade school in a traditional sense. The world of online classes and virtual fluidity have given them the ability to move at a pace they choose. More of them are starting businesses, more are traveling, more are living independent of their parents/families. Not to mention the moves made with the increased flow of money from the Biden administration. College has become an afterthought to making money or living life on their own terms. The independence of being able to hold full time employment or run a full fledge business during the day time hours while attending classes online has empowered this generation. They aren't the same kids who graduated from high school and went directly into ...