I have been surprised over the years to hear about my peers from high school and my kids’ peers from high school who seemed less than motivated … but ended up doing amazing things. The kid that lived behind us was a hot mess. I had him in my class often when I subbed at the local high school. He would smoke dope at lunch & do nothing in class (well, once I recall that he cut out a paper doll chain during a lesson). He went into the army after graduation, and he almost got kicked out. Somehow, he made it through … then he ended up going to college. He got his masters in Occupational Therapy a couple years ago. I can guarantee you there were many adults (and kids) saying he wasn’t college material. To each his own, in his own time and place.
That said, one of S’s childhood friends did not go to college. His mom wants him to, but the guy never liked school, never did well in school, and doesn’t want to go to school. At 27, he has a job that pays a tad more than minimum wage. He keeps talking about going to HVAC school, and S is encouraging him … but his mom tells him he needs to get a degree. He works on cars and knows how to fix things … I am willing to bet he’d do well in HVAC. I hope his mom gets on board and gives him the encouragement he seems to need. College is not the only path.