For high school juniors the dream is intact

No one pays much attention to the class on deck, but maybe we should. I mean the seniors are willy-nilly all over the place at this time of the year with proms and graduation plans and what have you. They’re a little tough to pin down.

Not so with the juniors. They’re quietly continuing on their educational career paths, setting lofty goals and not worrying about what kind of fun they’re going to have this summer.

I had the opportunity this week to be around some Dover High juniors, so I asked them, “Where do you see yourself in 11 years?”

Eleven years will place the juniors in 2023, 10 years out of high school.

They’ll be 28 or 29 then and card-carrying members of the real world. Now one would think, given the media noise, that the American dream, including the traditional family unit, has somehow been damaged over the last few years because of the Great Recession and Hollywood-type partner arrangements such as Brad and Angelina.

But after reading the short takes on their futures, I think it’s safe to say the “dream” is in place. Here’s what they want and/or expect to have before they reach of the age of 30:

–A career – many in the medical field. Dover’s Class of 2013 promises to produce a lot of nurses, including at least a couple who will speak fluent Spanish. That will help them as they help the world in disadvantaged areas, such as Honduras.

–A house – small or large, beachside or in the woods. Nearly every junior wants to be in his/her own house by age 28. It’s not clear whether renting that dream house will be an acceptable option.

–A family. There doesn’t seem to be an inclination to hold off on hooking up. And in 11 years, plenty see themselves as parents of two or three children.

–They want to be somewhere else. Sorry, Dover, you’re a nice place to raise a family, but only a few see themselves settling back in or around their hometown.

Here’s a sampling of what the kids have to say:

–“In 11 years, I hope to have successfully completed college. By that time, I will have a master’s degree in nursing with a minor in Spanish. I will have a job at a hospital and I’ll be changing lives every day. Saving humans will be my motivation…”

–“I want to live on a farm, living a life different from others. I want a wife – we aren’t going to get divorced – and a log cabin with husky and a little girl. Most importantly, I want to be happy – no fancy cars or things I can’t afford…”

– “I can see myself with a family and living out on a lake somewhere. I plan on getting a nice job where I don’t have to worry about borrowing money from people to pay my bills. I also see myself giving back to the town/school that has given me so many opportunities…”

–“In 2023 I want to be graduated from Ohio State School of Pharmacy … I want to live in a city different from where I currently live. Dover is a nice safe city, but there is just nothing to do. I hope to experience a few different countries, learn how to play guitar and fluently speak another language…”

–“I’ll accomplish being a history teacher, a guidance counselor and an English teacher for a different country. Hopefully, I’ll have beaten all of my medical problems and help out my mother…”

–“I want to be happily married with at least two kids – three at the most. I want to have a successful career. I want a nice, decent house with my amazing husband. I do not want to be in debt. I want my husband to be faithful.”

–“All I want is to have an amazing life with a great family. I would like to live in a large house, get married and have children. I would also like to be a nurse in a hospital.”

–“I’m planning on living in Georgia. I want to have my masters degree in accounting and bachelors degree in business management. I’m hoping to have my own gym and fitness center…”

–“I hope to be a mother, wife and nurse. After I graduate high school I want to get my nursing degree. I might return to Dover after college to raise a family.”

–“I expect to be done with college (sports medicine) and have a good paying job (occupational therapist) that can support the start of a family. I would like to be somewhere other than Tuscarawas County, but maybe somewhere else in Ohio…”

–“In 11 years, I hope to be a pilot of an aircraft at either a commercial airline or for the United States Air Force. I would also like to be making over $100,000, have a wife, two kids and to live in South Carolina…”

–“In 11 years from now I can see myself in plenty of situations but I prefer to be contributing to society with a job in physical therapy, which will provide paychecks for my family. I would just as much like LeBron James still without a ring.”

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