While we have loads of alumni in their mid-twenties doing all kinds of interesting things, our oldest alums are now approaching forty (40!) years old. Many are married, and many have children. There has been a recent spate of babies, and while an evening party isn’t the most convenient time for them to come to North Star, I do get a kick out of meeting the next generation.
This party also presents a good excuse for me to contact a huge majority of alumni with personal emails, texts, or other messages. While I sometimes worry about contributing to junk emails or unwanted notices, I mostly receive a warm reception. The replies I receive are wonderful snippets of news or just a pleasant acknowledgment.
My brief analysis is that the range of news reveals both the superficial and the profound: on the one had, our alumni are young adults going about their lives having a regular set of experiences that any school’s alumni would be reporting. On the other hand, the vast majority of these alumni are teens who did not obtain a traditional high school diploma, and yet they have encountered no obstacles to their academic and vocational pursuits. Many have rebounded from unpleasant school or social experiences before North Star, and most hold some affection for North Star’s time in their lives.
For the fun of it, I’m sharing a few of these highlights from my past week:
Isabel:
Hi Ken,
I listened to your recent interview with Blake Boles about Liberated Learners and was generally reflecting on my North Star years. I was sorry to see on Facebook that you had injured yourself, so I hope you are feeling better and your recovery is going well. I wanted to take this moment to update you on where I’m at now.
As you may know, I graduated from Hampshire College in May, having spent my time there studying mostly biology and chemistry. I moved to Boston immediately after and have been working in a neurology lab at BU. It’s strange to me that I’ve ended up on what *could* be such a conventional career path having come out of such an unconventional background (even Hampshire, the most “normal” seeming choice I made is pretty weird to most people). I’m not fully committed to it since a PhD in my field is a 6-8 year undertaking, but it’s an interesting experiment and I’m learning a lot in the process.
I’m not sure what I’m going to end up doing or if academia is even a good fit for me, but being okay with that kind of big uncertainty is definitely one of the most valuable takeaways from my time at North Star. I know I wouldn’t be this open to change or different options had I not made that leap. It certainly wasn’t the easiest time in my life for me, but it was by far the best option available to me and helped me greatly by encouraging my independence and developing confidence to explore.
If there is anything I can do for North Star in the future, please let me know.
Elaine, a parent:
R is now at Mt. Holyoke College, with nearly straight As, doing a double major in Psychology and English.
Patricia, a parent:
A finished the Gateway to College program @ HCC in May. She earned her high school diploma, as well as 32 college credits. She ended up with the highest GPA in her class…3.97.
I can’t thank you enough for your support and guidance during, what at the time, seemed like the end of the world!!
Lauren, a parent:
B just finished her first trimester at Antioch college inYellow Springs OH where she got… wait for it… all As. She loves college!
Annie:
Unfortunately I will still be in Boston finishing my semester at college so I won’t be able to come to this event. I am studying Journalism at Emerson College and I am loving it! I hope you are doing well and I would love to stop by North Star and say hello to everyone once I come home for winter break. Please tell Ellen, Lauren, and the rest of the staff that I say hello!
Johanna, a parent:
Ken, I love your long-term commitment to what you believe in so wholeheartedly–you are always an amazing, supportive presence in my world!
Tessa, in response to my inquiry if she is still a beer distributor:
Yes I am! I will stop by on my way home from work.
Max:
Well, I would but we are living in Michigan and I don’t think its worth the 24 hour round trip. Wish you the best in all your anti-establishment glory though.
I am playing guitar, singing, writing, thinking, attending some college, acting…pretty much everything I can get my hands on. I’m also working, sadly, but I might get fired so there is a bright side.
Matt W.:
Hello! I have a show in Easthampton at 7:00 that night but I’ll certainly swing over afterwards.
Evan B.:
Hey Ken,
It is a bit of a commute to make it there, but I hope that you have fun and it’s a good event! I am living in Alaska full time now, about to wrap up college at the University of Alaska Anchorage in the Aircraft Maintenance Program. Got a couple of tests with the FAA and another semester and then I’ll be done. Hope things are going well in the northeast.
Jacob M.M.:
Hey Ken,
Thanks for the personal invitation! I intend on coming to the event. Kate and the kids will be staying home though, because it’s just too much to drag them out of the house in the evening so close to their bedtimes.
Things are going pretty well. The kids, Ari and Lev, are 6 months and 3 years respectively. So parenting is very much consuming our identities and this moment in life.
Career-wise, things are going very well for me. I’m still a senior software engineer at a renewable energy company (solar power and residential batteries) that was recently acquired by a $3.5B company. It was definitely a startup business dream come true for the team, and they’re treating me very well.
Looking forward to seeing you at the event!
Cooper H.:
Hi Ken,
I’m mostly looking for research/investment analyst positions in financial services, but I’m also looking at corporate positions in some of Boston’s startup companies if that falls through. Right now I’m enrolled in the CFA program and signed up for an exam in June.
Emily O:
Unfortunately, I am heading home from Boston on Tuesday night so won’t be able to make it. I am working in the State House with another first year female legislator — her name is Tami Gouveia. But I connect with Rep Sabadosa regularly as she and my boss are very close and partner on a number of issues and bills together. They were also two of the women who weren’t allowed to speak on the House floor, a la Elizabeth Warren and Mitch McConnell: https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2019/10/30/reps-sabadosa-robinson-and-gouveia-say-beacon-hill-stifles-new-voices
As always, it’s great to hear from you!
Dan B., parent of a newborn!:
Hi Ken!
Everything is play-it-by-ear these days. It’s on our calendar, and we’ll do our best to make it. Hope you are well!