Sure, I want to play it cool. I want to pretend that I come from a family that gets news like this on a regular basis. I could act like an entitled WASP and just shrug off the e-mail I got last night with a casual "Of course. No surprise there." But that would be a lie, lie, lie! This is BIG, big enough for me to violate my Must Not Brag on the Blog rule.
What am I talking about?
My niece Anne was accepted at HARVARD!!!!!!
And Williams (the number one liberal arts school in the U.S.), and Carleton, Case-Western, Haverford, Holy Cross, and Macalester.
She received admissions offers from these schools not because her parents have money, not because she attended a top-tier private school, not because her parents or grandparents are graduates, but because she worked her gifted little butt off, challenged herself, and seized every opportunity she could to advance her education inside and outside of the classroom.
Anne did the work but her parents supported her every step of the way, managing to get her where she needed to be during all her activities, encouraging her to aim high, and pinching pennies at home so that money would be available to fund some of her bigger educational adventures--traveling as a youth "ambassador" to Japan, touring Europe with an orchestra, playing at Carnegie Hall last year, and attending various camps and events.
A talented musician, Anne expects to make her career in scientific research or medicine.
We're proud of Anne not just for what she's accomplished but for who she is, for her humor, her humility, and her well mannered, generous spirit. She has set the standard on so many levels.
Take a bow, Grrrl! We're applauding over here in Belgium!
April 1, 2007
Copyright 2007 Veronica McCabe Deschambault and V-Grrrl in the Middle. All rights reserved.