This is a “yes and” not an “either or” conversation. This week, seniors at Forest Hills Northern participated in mock interviews to practice professional interviewing skills and get feedback on how they presented themselves in their written resume and conversation. The students highlighted academic, artistic and athletic accomplishments and were well prepared to share examples of team projects that fell apart, designs that failed, and individual challenges and struggles they overcame. The maturity level of the students who have the opportunity to work with big, audacious, nebulous, and unfamiliar challenges and apply fundamental academic content to succeed (or fail) in solving the challenge was impressive. Employers expect the skills on display from these students. Educators require the autonomy, resources and encouragement to provide this type of learning. So, yes, we will have high academic standards with challenging assignments that are rigorous and the experiences will be relevant to help students eagerly prepare for a bright future ahead. An exciting journey indeed!
Suzanne Callahan
Board President
