called “About Me” on College T-shirt picture day at her high school. In the essay my daughter had to answer a question about what her life’s goal was.
She responded by saying she wanted to attend UVA. She’s now class of 2023 and headed to Charlottesville in the Fall.
That is so sweet. She must have really made an impression on the teacher for her to save it unless the teacher saves them all to see what the kids actually do.
It is amazing her some kids know what the want from very early and stay in that path.
That’s awesome! We have one from the 1st grade. Chem E daughter said she wanted to be a princess ballerina 
^^^ Start checking on eligible bachelor princes.
One of my kids’ elementary school teachers has done this every year for all her students.
D1 just wanted to be a princess.
D2 wondered if she could get a job at the tooth fairy castle, and possibly be a tooth fairy backup.
I think it’s very nice that the teacher shared those things at HS graduation.
We had some journals…
DS wanted to be a pilot. DD wanted to be a teacher. Let’s just say…neither one is even close to those first grade ideas!
D1 wanted to be a food writer. She is not. ? D2 wrote in 2nd grade that she wanted to be a scientist. She is a physicist, so that worked out!
Our kids went to a K-12 school, and their kindergarten (and other teachers through the years) teachers attended their HS graduation. I loved that continuity of community.
In first or second grade DS proclaimed he was going to study at Harvard and become a scientist. But things changed. He ended up spurning the Harvard coach’s recruitment efforts, and chose Princeton for his study of physics.
I like your story, OP!
As I was sorting through my childhood things the summer before college, I found an essay I wrote in 6th grade about the future. I had completely forgotten writing it, but I predicted that I would go to William and Mary.
In the meantime, my parents had taken me all the way from Maine to Philly looking at lots of schools. But nothing felt right. My parents started to get frustrated—I couldn’t articulate why I wasn’t excited. Then, I went to visit a friend at William and Mary, and that was it! I applied ED.
My parents joke that that 6th grade essay could have saved us a lot of trouble if only we had remembered it! But actually, they enjoyed the visits and I wouldn’t have been so sure without them?.
In kindergarten, DD wanted to be a zookeeper. She wouldn’t even go near the cat’s litter box, so I was pretty sure that wasn’t going to pan out.
At my undergrad college, the English composition instructors held onto our freshman comp papers until just before graduation. I can’t remember what I did with mine. I’m not sure what that was all about - so we could appreciate how much we’d grown as scholars and writers? My roommate who was an English major reread all of hers and was horrified by how awful they looked to her. I think she burned them.
D1 wrote a letter to her future self, maybe in 6th or 7th. A few years ago, I found it. It focused on law school, buying lots of clothes, travelling the world. She didn’t go to law school, though she would have been a great lawyer. That kid can argue a point. She does love shopping and travel.
I did find my college app essay and was horrified. I remember 2nd grade writing what we wanted to be- nearly all the girls said teacher or actresss. Those were those days.
We had a teacher who did that - she did it for 30+ years. My older D got hers back 2 years ago when she graduated and it was fun to read. My younger daughter should get hers in three years - the teacher retired last year but promised they would be delivered.
We had a teacher who did that - she did it for 30+ years. My older D got hers back 2 years ago when she graduated and it was fun to read. My younger daughter should get hers in three years - the teacher retired last year but promised they would be delivered.
My kids got a kick out of the “About Me” book that my mom had saved - facts about every year in school from K-12 - photo, height, friends, etc., plus “what I want to do when I grow up”. All of my report cards were still there.
I’m pretty sure my son was the only child in his first grade class who said he wanted to be a landscape architect (and he actually knew what that was). Not what he ended up doing.
OP, I love this story about the teacher. I run into my kids former teachers occasionally. The ones who taught S always ask about him. Sadly, D’s teachers never remember her.
In 4th grade, my daughter’s favorite subject was Math. She is now a HS Math teacher.
My 8th grd son yrs ago got tired of “what are your goals” and the teacher wasn’t too happy when she saw what he wrote.
“I want to be either a veterinarian or a butcher”
he just graduated; is going to be an actuary. he’s still a little cynical.
All of the graduating seniors at our HS get letters that they wrote to themselves in 4th grade and in 8th grade. So much fun to read and the kids really look forward to getting them. At graduation many of the teachers from the entire school system attend. Both of my kids loved having their Kindergarten and First grade teachers fine them among the graduates…the teachers walk around with their class pictures from that year looking for their students. So much fun!