Fast

Fast. That's what the next three weeks will feel like for most of our seniors. It is hard to believe but they will be done in just three short weeks. Before any of you seniors realize it, you will be walking across the stage at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center on May 19th. In those three short weeks, you will be preparing your senior portfolio, getting your graduation stuff together, making plans for graduation parties and taking final exams. I know some of you may be thinking that May 19th can't come quick enough, but I hope that you will take some time and really think about your last 12 years of school, your accomplishments, all your friends and those happy and maybe sad memories. Take time to reflect about your four years of high school and think about these questions. Did you accomplish any of the goals you set for yourself? Are you where you thought you would be when you started ninth grade? How has life changed for you over the last four years? These are all good points to ponder as you begin your next stage of life. I believe they will help you plan future goals based on how you met your earlier goals or maybe you never set any earlier goals and now you would like to.

Fast. That really is what life feels like, no matter how old or young you are. There is a country song out now by Luke Bryan and it is called "Fast". In the song he says, "60 seconds now feels more like 30...Sand through the glass sure falls in a hurry and all you keep trying to do is slow it down, soak it in. Keep trying to make the good times last as long as you can but you can't, man it just goes to fast". I was thinking to myself, sure Luke Bryan is 41 years old and he thinks 60 seconds now feels like 30, wait until he gets to be my age. Sixty seconds now feels like fifteen. All joking aside, life does go by fast and I hope that each of you will take the time over the next three weeks to appreciate all you have earned and all that you have ahead of you. I hope that all of you will finish strong and complete all your assignments. If you have any questions regarding your grades or your graduation status, please stop by my office so we can talk. Even if you don't have any concerns or questions, I truly hope you will stop by my office one more time to chat, say hello and let's talk about your future plans. Believe it or not, I will miss many of you and always look forward to our open houses when so many of you come back to say hello and update me on your life. I just ran in to a former AG student at the Big R in Lima yesterday and we had a nice conversation. I was shocked when I found out he has been out of Vantage for almost eight years. One of the things he mentioned to me was how fast those eight years have gone by. Funny, that's what I was thinking.

Field of Dreams

First of all I apologize for the long time in between posts. It has really been crazy around school and there have been so many things going on as we finish the school year. I titled this post Field of Dreams because I was lucky enough to take our National Technical Honor Society members to the Fort Wayne Tin Caps game the other day. Mr. Unverferth came up with the idea to give these excellent students a day off for all their hard work over the last couple of years and treat them to a day they truly deserved. Well I will tell you we were certainly blessed with absolutely beautiful weather that day. The seats Mr. U got for us were unbelievable. We were the first row, right next to the home dugout on the first base line. Being this close to the game kept all of us on our toes, keeping an eye out for the line drive foul balls.

As I looked out at the players as they stretched before the game, I thought about all their dreams and hopes for the future. The Tin Caps are the Single A team for the San Diego Padres. Most of these players are right out of college and are putting everything on the line to make the "Big Show", the major leagues. The odds of a lot of these players making the pros isn't very high but certainly many of them do make it to the next level and then into the majors. It is a dream they have and they work very hard to obtain it.

It didn't take me long to look at our students sitting all around me and realize that these students who are the best of the best at Vantage, also are about to set out with so many hopes and dreams. They will work hard to obtain those goals and I know they will. They have their entire life ahead of them. They have opportunities that many of us never had. They will fall, get back up, suffer disappointments and celebrate great achievements. I am proud of all of these students and I can tell you that our future is in very good hands. To be able to spend a few hours with these students made me realize that we all need to hold on to our dreams, encourage others in their dreams and be proud of our youth here at Vantage. They truly are our future and ready to get out on the field.

In closing, I can't help but mention what an awesome night we had here at Vantage on Wednesday. The R.K. Thompson banquet was held to honor students from Crestview, Van Wert, Lincolnview and Vantage, who have overcome some pretty tough obstacles in their life and still have been successful. All 10 finalist have some outstanding stories and they should all be proud of where they are. The two winners, one male and one female, were both from our Welding program. They are Bailey Stegaman and Marcus Tarlton. Congratulations to these two outstanding students and their instructor Mr. Brent Wright, who was also a R.K. Thompson winner. Once again, two students ready to set out on their field of dreams.