Last updated on 2013.05.17
Graduating senior Rebecca Froelich bids Madison High School goodbye and offers some advice to incoming Bulldog freshmen:
Get to know Madison, South Dakota. Most of you want to get out of here. But as long as you’re here, why not? Go out into the community. Volunteer. It makes your time here more valuable, and you can be sure that you left something good behind [Becky Froelich, "My Final Farewell and Advice for Incoming Freshmen," Madison High School Maroon, 2013.05.15].
Engaging the community will help young people develop a healthy sense of place. But for Froelich, a healthy sense of place includes a willingness to leave that place:
Don’t get wrapped up in Madison, South Dakota. The drama that happens in this high school will probably have little to no impact on your life in a month, or maybe even a week. It’s hard to remember that in the moment, so take a step back and breathe. It goes both ways: if you’re having a great time here in Madison, don’t let it cloud your vision for future possibilities. You may be the best in your school here, but there are thousands of people who are also best in their own schools. Aim for success at MHS, but remember that there’s a whole world out there [Froelich, 2013.05.15].
But how willing should you be to leave? To graduates open to some deep thinking this capped-and-gowned weekend, Wendell Berry says, "If you don't know where you are, you don't know who you are." Tune out your commencement speakers (the odds are 100 to 1 against their saying anything new) and think about that.
Actually what happens in high school can have a huge impact on how you will live your life. A few decades since graduation has added perspective to my view of high school.
One other thing, you don't necessarily have to leave Madison to be happy. The grass is sometimes greener on the other side of the fence because of all of the fertilizer - the stink nasty kind.