Taryn

    

Taryn graduates high school in FOUR DAYS!!!  She finished her CNA last December and that work helped her with enough credits for high school graduation.

Wow!

She has hated school every single day of her life since kindergarten.  Every day has been a challenge for her.  We (collectively as her family) have battled alongside her the whole time. 

I think it's really admirable that high school graduations highlight youth with great academic achievements. High school (well, all of any school) comes pretty easy for me and always has. I've shifted how I view educational success, though, and for the better.  I think that we should equally celebrate, and maybe even more elevate, those whose high school (and other) educational experiences have been a challenge. For Taryn, school has been tough- physically, socially, academically.  In the most latter years, depression has plagued her; experiences with friends have been humiliating and sad, understanding some subjects has been tough, tough, tough.

Still, she is graduating, and I wish that high schools would, quite seriously, recognize with esteem the graduates whose experiences are atypical- who stand up shining with pride because this truly was one of the greatest accomplishments in their short eighteen years.  What she's walked away with more than a diploma is the confidence she can accomplish things that matter to her, a resilience not have learned otherwise, and (hopefully) a gratitude of those who have really been her cheerleaders all along.  And all those things will matter in her life more than the certificate she finished high school.  

So congrats to her!

Also- my sister is a photographer and took Taryn's graduation pictures.  

Turned out amazing!