The Graduate

Hopefully everyone has gone through some sort of graduation ritual or process, either themselves, their kids or relatives.  My stepson, Forrest, graduated from high school May 26, 2010.  We are all proud of him that he made it through remarkably, as far as we know, unscathed.  No bad grades.  No bad attitude.  No bad girlfriends.  That last one might be a stretch.

Initially I was going to be clever, or try to be, and take images and /or dialogue from the coming-of-age flick, "The Graduate", and correlate it with Forrest's various steps through this learning process.  I stopped after realizing that there really wasn't anything clever to write about.  I hate trying to be clever.  Then, I tried using the symbolic vehicle of a seed growing upward toward  treehood in this immense forest.  Comparing his name with the trees and such.  I hate trying to be symbolic.  That didn't turn out so hot, either.

I came to the realization that making fun of graduation is not fun.  It is serious business, at least to these kids.  The public school of choice that Forrest attended is The Rocky Mountain School of Expeditionary Learning in Denver.  RMSEL (pronounced Rem-Zill) had a graduating class of 23 this year.  It was tight-knit group with a communal aspect.  Not hippie communal but a community that involved learning expeditions such as Outward Bound-type survival trips or studying ancient ruins by tracking what the various cultures encountered in their time.  The total population of this K-12 learning center is around 300 with very little fluctuation in number.  One intriguing aspect was a semi-annual 'showcase' that features the students expressing their various electives such as dance, poetry, music or comedy.  Very entertaining for all the parents and friends.  And the students.

RMSEL's mission statement is "to empower students and staff to be learners, thinkers, citizens and explorers engaged in and inspired by the real world.  We are crew not passengers."  That says it all.  Conscious of our environment, conscious of society's strengths and weaknesses and engaging all this with future focus, has been an eye-opener for me.

Graduation was a chance for the crew leaders (teachers) to individually address each student on a personal level and express what each student meant to that teacher.  Very emotional and inspiring.  Inspiring in a world of educational turmoil.  This school is a breath of rejuvenated air.

Forrest will take this experience with him and use it wisely and worldly.  Thinking small on a community level and bringing it to a global level is the key.  These future leaders have been given a chance to think small but act large.  All RMSELians carried a unique swagger reflecting their own personalities as they accepted their diplomas.  I am proud to have experienced and interacted with a great bunch of kids.  The ability to think outside the box, leadership and mentoring relationships and to communicate intelligently, will serve Forrest and these graduates immensely.  Congratulations Forrest and we are looking forward to another learning year with Blake who will be graduating next year from RMSEL.

FORREST WILLIAM LAMBERT
Class Of 2010