Advice For Graduates That’s Worth Reading

First of all... Congratulations! If you are reading this, it's very likely that you have just recently achieved a major milestone in your life - graduation from high school, trade school, a higher-education institution, or hey, maybe you even graduated from kindergarten. It's a moment that every student dreams of, and an exciting new chapter awaits you.

My sister just recently graduated from college (woo hoo), and it got me thinking about my days as a recent graduate. There is so much I wish I knew at that time, and it has inspired me to write her (and you) this letter of advice for graduates who are now entering what we call the "real world."

I'm not going to sugar coat things for you. The "real world" can be extremely tough. Life will smack you in the face in unexpected ways, and there will be moments you wish you could go back in time and relive your days as a student (you might not think so right now, but believe me).

You will fail. You will mess up from time to time. It happens to the very best and most experienced of us. The first major piece of advice for graduates should always be to never fear failure. Failure is ultimately what drives success in the long run, and many notable, highly successful individuals (including THE Walt Disney) failed before they achieved major success.

I totally get it. Now that you're out of school, you're ready to never crack open a textbook ever again. But hey... I've got news for you. The learning has just begun.

Your education is not confined to a classroom. In a lot of ways, you're about to learn more than a textbook and a classroom ever taught you. My advice... Embrace it. Encourage it. Welcome it. Keep your curiosity alive, and never stunt your ever-growing wealth of knowledge. After all, knowledge is power.

The actual beauty of this very moment in your life is you're not supposed to have everything figured out or know exactly who you are. I know there's a lot of pressure to feel that way, but ignore it.

This is the perfect time to find YOUR passions. Find those things in life that make you feel energized and excited. Hopefully, you're able to combine those passions with a job that provides a paycheck. How cool would that be? Trust me, it's possible. I found mine, and you should never give up on finding your dream job that will ultimately fuel your soul.

There is so much more advice for graduates that could be given, but in all honesty, a major part of being a fresh graduate is navigating the experience a little blindly. That said, follow the steps above, and you will be leaps and bounds above the rest.

Remember - you are loved, you are believed in, and you CAN do this. You're going to do incredible things, and I can't wait to watch them unravel before my very eyes.

I'm telling you, these random national holidays get more and more fun as we shred through the year. Today is National School Pictures Day! Aka a day to share and celebrate all of the super cute, sometimes funny, nearly always awkward school pictures we all endured and will carry with us for the rest of our lives.

According to National Today, "National school photography provider Lifetouch declared the first-ever National School Picture Day happening on the second Thursday of September in 2019." It's always during the second week of September so that the holiday always falls right at the beginning of school. The day always hits right around the time that schools are scheduling their official picture days. I know my former elementary school was one of those schools that had their picture day today for the students. I think that's such an exciting way to celebrate the festivities with current students as well. They deserve to celebrate this holiday too!

Yanno, I think (most) all of us can agree that looking back on our early days as a student, it didn't necessarily matter the grades we made. What really ended up mattering is how brutal our school pictures turned out. Because those suckers... they somehow really do stick by your side for the rest of your life. Like glue. They're always there, and they always come back to haunt you. The good ones AND the bad ones. But I suppose that's what makes the reminiscing so enjoyable.

You've gotten to know the 102.7 VGS squad over the air waves and online through our content and bios (check them out)! But this holiday is such a fun way to share the sides of ourselves from years past, back when we were mere kiddos. It's a cool way to share a glimpse into our days as students! Your 102.7 VGS crew was ready to join in on the fun.

We couldn't let this super fun throwback of a holiday slip by without sharing our school pictures from back in the day.

Check out Aimee, Shawn, Cameron, and Sammi as kids!

Cute as a button. Period. Aimee works the bangs! 🔥

What a fine young gentleman! Shawn gets an A+ in "picture day attire." So properly dressed in the button up! 👏

Okay. This is PRECIOUS. You flash that smile, Cameron! 😁

Ah, the signature Sammi braids. Some things never change. 🤷 Totally on brand!

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