Athena, on the Occasion of (Probably) Her Last Day as a High School Student
Posted on December 14, 2016 Posted by John Scalzi 63 Comments
Why is this girl smiling? Because today is probably Athena’s last day as a high school student. As you may remember, this year Athena has been attending the local community college rather than the local school, because Athena basically had only one more class she needed to complete her high school requirements, and it was easier to schedule it at the college than at the school. Today is the last day of the semester at the college, and with it, the completion of her high school requirements. Athena’s petitioned to be allowed to graduate early, and historically such petitions have been granted (we’ll know for certain next week). If it is, well, then, this is it. The end of Athena’s high school days. You can see she’s pretty pleased by this turn of events.
This also completes, I suspect, my annual tradition of “last day of school” pictures for Athena; after this she’ll be off at college, and I won’t be around for her final day at the end of each year. This is where one can get maudlin and start singing “Sunrise, Sunset” or something along that line, but I’ll go ahead and postpone that for now. We have other big commemorations coming up soon, and I want to save my thoughts until then.
Nevertheless, a big day, and I’m proud of my daughter. But then, there’s not a day that I’m not.
Why do I have “Cat’s in the Cradle” stuck in my head now?
Congratulations to her! I wish I would have taken the post-secondary enrollment and early grad options when I was a senior, lo those many, many years ago.
WearySky:
Eh. Not that one. I spend a reasonable amount of time with my kid.
Congrats to her and to clan Scalzi. I may have missed it: has she decided on a school to leave home for, or is she staying at her current college?
Congratulations! And in return, a proud mention of my youngest daughter, who graduated from college last May, got a job as a statistical data analyst 6 months ago, and was just made a permanent employee today. Aren’t daughters great?
Hubert:
No decisions yet. Still applying. Probably not going to stay at Edison (her current community college), although that’s not a reflection on the school. Community colleges are important.
Welcome to the “Gawd you’re old” years
And you’re probably getting smarter too if you follow the graph :P
https://dirtyrottenparenting.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/pit-graph.jpg
Congratulations on Athena’s last day of high school! What a fabulous milestone! You must be super proud. :)
And too Athena – Congratulations
Congratulations! I have a HS senior at home too. It’s such a bittersweet time.
While I didn’t graduate early, I was more than glad to graduate HS at the old age of 17.
Congrats to your daughter for taking the hard road to get out of Drama Central. I’m sure she’ll pick a better school than the U.S. Army Engineer School of Hard Knocks at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO. :-) But if for some reasons she did, ACE would be lucky as hell. In any case, Essayons! to Family Scalzi.
Wonderful– and congratulations to Athena!
Congratulations to Athena and you and Krissy in raising an apparently awesome young adult. Current we have our fingers crossed that my baby sister actually makes it to her GED prep class orientation this week (she slept through it last week). Obviously her formal education has been a bit rockier than Athena’s. :)
My oldest brother probably would have liked a dual enrollment option. They moved at least once while he was in HS (Dad was USAF) and he took extra classes in the summer, so his senior year all he was lacking was a PE credit. The school said he had to take it to graduate; local state university didn’t care.
Congrats to her, and to you and your wife. A big milestone.
Congrats, Athena! I wish you much success doing adulty things.
Congratulations! You probably don’t want to listen to Perry Como’s “Turn Around” song either.
Congratulations, Athena! I wish I had had the option of going to college early (I’m older than your dad). They didn’t let us do that stuff back when dinosaurs roamed the earth (1969-1973).
Congratulations, sir and madame on your daughter’s graduation. You clearly done good.
Yea, Athena!
Good for you Athena. I graduated high school a year early and got the heck out of there. Good luck with what’s next.
Congratulations, Athena! You have a mom and dad who are very (and justifiably) proud of you.
Strictly speaking, there’s no non-creepy way to say I’ve followed your daughter’s stories and pictures here for years and it’s been a pleasure watching her grow up, but there it is. You guys are a sweet family.
Congratulationa, Athena! Hope you find a school that is a good fit both personally and academically.
Schools out for ever! Good for her. Was the Chicago trip to look at whatever the university is up there (probably has “Chicago” in the name).
Congratulations and well done, Athena!
Well, conditional hearty congratulations, then! I’m sure people are saying, “Oh but she’ll still walk graduation with her friends, right?” Things that seem important now and become less so as her steps continue forward.
I hope she doesn’t get in your way with her late night parties and early morning sneak-ins. It’s like having one retired parent in the house, for a few months anyway.
Congratulations, Athena. :-) And as others have said, it’s been a delight to watch you grow up.
Congrats, Athena! Drive safe and don’t dive into waters of unknown depth that are non-metaphorical!
Congrats Athena — look forward to hearing about your next adventure!! My oldest graduates HS in June and is still working on a few more college essays. Best of luck to you!!
Hurray. Another milestone, another day. And then you will be inordinately happy when she turns 30 and is one of your best friends ever. Happened with my kids. Love them to pieces even as they hit their 50s
Congratulations, Athena! And Merry Christmas!
Congratulations to Athena, and to the Scalzi family. Best wishes for the future, however you choose to approach it.
Huzzah! Take a bow indeed, Athena! Now off to rule the world! Congrats Scalzis. And thanks for sharing. :)
Congratulations, Athena! Best luck with the exciting future ahead of you. Also, I have that exact same sweater. It’s good to now that thirty-something me has taste as good as a hip young (former) high schooler.
Congratulations to Athena and her proud parents! I know that proud/sad/scared feeling quite well. But as I say to the missus, “hey, this is why we raised ’em.”
Congratulations to all 3 of you, Athena for finishing and you and your wife for such great parenting!
I remember when she was tiny, and you used to surprise her with her birthday each year.
It’s kind of shocking to me that she’s graduating high school already, even though I became a parent not all that long after you became a parent — and my older daughter, Molly, is in 11th grade, so this is right around the corner for me, too.
Congratulations to all but especially to Athena. :-)
Athena: Punch the principal! They’ll let you stay another year. Well, they might make you do the fifth year at a storefront behavioral school where you’ll call the teachers by their first names, and there are mats on the wall for physical takedowns… But your parents aren’t ready for you to grow up, so buy them another year by cleaning the principal’s clock.
Wild applause for Athena, her accomplishments, and her good sense. Community colleges are excellent. May you have all kinds of success in the future, whatever that means to you.
Congratulations to your daughter on (practically) graduating.
My wife attended basic training at Fort Lost-In-The-Woods. Athena should cross it from her “I might think about going here” list.
Congrats to Athena! Of course, now I’m feeling extra old, ’cause my my oldest granddaughter is a sophomore in high school.
She looks like daddy :) Congrats beautiful girl!
Well done Athena, and all good wishes for success in the tertiary education that awaits.
John, I sent my one and only to college this year. In the four months she’s been there so far she has found independence and learned how to thrive outside of the protective nest of Mom ‘n’ Dad. I only hope that Athena’s path is as successful.
Good on you, Athena.
Congratulations to Athena and the whole family! Graduating early from High School was one of the smartest things I’ve ever done. I recommend it highly.
Congratulations! And have fun, wherever your path takes you…
Mazel tov to Athena, and you John on your upcoming performance as Tevye at a future w00tstock.
Congrats to Athena on completing/escaping high school.
Congratulations Athena! Good luck going forward!
Congratulations Athena. Now the real fun begins (not that you haven’t been having any).
How wonderful is that! Congrats, Athena!
Congratulations to Athena. But last day of school pictures? Have tablet will travel. Athena might like a late lunch on the parents before a night of goodbyes with all her mates. You could then scamper off an appropriate distance. This time of year the grass is dormant, book signings should be done, a little trip might be nice. If Athena is agreeable to a picture the fans are in her corner too.
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Congratulations…nothing says getting on with life like leaving play time behind.
Congratulations Athena! Good luck wherever you end up deciding to go for your higher education. I’m proud to have made my small contributions towards your college fund.
Congratulations to your daughter, John. I hope she has fun and learns things at college.
Congratulations, Athena! And good luck on the college hunt.
Today is my oldest daughter’s last day of pre-school. What a strange, emotional time. Parenthood is all about seeing less and less of a more and more wonderful creature, it seems.
Congratulations, Ms. Scalzi, and may the years that lie ahead be filled with fun, learning many things in many ways, and continued growth of your beauty, both inner and external.
Congratulations, Athena!
Athena, I wish you all the best. Go get ’em!
Sending my congrats and “well done” to Athena. I’m wishing her, (and both her parents too), success and happiness with the next chapter of your lives.