On the morning of the eclipse I write this post about Aidan, a future space engineer.
Last week, we met up and tromped around through the woods off of Bass Lake Road to a favorite mountain biking spot that this Class of ’24 “graduate to be” wanted to share. While likely Cal Poly bound this fall to study Mechanical Engineering, his plans extend further to a Masters in Aerospace Engineering. One day he expresses, “I want to work for NASA building the habitats astronauts will live in, on other worlds”. THAT, I’d say is a plan! When not shuttling off to other worlds in his mind he’s shuttling back and forth on this planet to mountain biking team and band, where he plays the flute.
My favorite thing about Aidan is his energy, spark, and his genuine interest in connecting. He was asking me questions about myself. And while he is certainly not the only high schooler to do this, it is a unique quality in a high school senior. When rereading his advice to incoming seniors he reminded me of what a thoughtful person he is,
“Be yourself.
Be willing to grow.
Follow your gut.
Learn to forgive.
Work hard.
Be vulnerable.
Follow your passions.
View mistakes as learning experiences.
Be flexible.
Change is ok.
Thank your parents.”
After the session, I watched Aidan and his girlfriend walk hand in hand down the road, headed to a local band performance that they were performing in. Life is what you make it. For Aidan, life is good.
