In Their Own Words
FALL 2024
Where does the time go?
Does it disappear into some cosmic black hole, along with all the lost keys, the misplaced reading glasses, the single socks that vanished into the dryer?
One day your child is entering middle school, teetering on the threshold of adolescence, and the next thing you know, they’re off to college, and their high school days are long behind them, like dust in the rearview mirror!
It all goes by in a blink.
Our kids are with us for such a finite amount of time, and then they’re off and running! Which is great—I mean, I’m not complaining. We want our kids to launch, don’t we? We do! We really do!
As I watch your kids head off for the next adventure that awaits, I can’t help but be flooded with an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the time I’ve been able to spend with them—listening to their hopes and dreams, nagging them like a mother hen, pushing them to live up to their fullest potential.
Because, truth be told, they’re pretty darn great, your kids. Hardworking. Funny. Intelligent. Ambitious. Creative. On occasion, astonishing. And of course, miraculous—each and every one.
Well, guess what? As it turns out, I’m not the only one feeling grateful today. Turns out, the kids are grateful, too—to you. You parents, you guardians. The ones who never slept on the job. Who never let them slide. The ones who did every possible thing within the scope of human limitation to ensure that the kids were off to a great start.
Your kids love and appreciate you. More than you’ll ever know. But, hey—don’t take my word for it! I’ll let your kids tell you themselves—and in their own words.
So read on, and as you do, I hope you pause to bask in the moment. I hope you savor their words. I hope you take a second or two to drink in the good vibes. Give yourselves a pat on the back for a job well done. And then hang onto that moment for as long as you can. Because time, as they say, holds still for no one.
Blessings,
College Coach Karen
Thank You Notes 2024
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for all the sacrifices you’ve made and sticking with me throughout the good, the bad, and everything in-between. My UC Berkeley acceptance is a result of your relentless commitment to nurturing my education from day one—something I hated back then (i.e., learning algebra in Kindergarten) but something I never take for granted now. No matter the distance, you’ll always be with me in my heart.
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To my parents, thank you for pushing me to achieve what I thought was impossible to accomplish, the college process. Thank you for all the support because I could not have done it without you all.
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For my parents, you’ve done more than I can possibly comprehend. It’s impossible to put my appreciation into words.
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After everything that’s happened in the past 18 years, I’m finally going to college. Time flew by so fast and I want to thank you guys for all that you’ve given me.
I still remember coming home every day from elementary school and telling you guys that I got in trouble yet again, like forgetting to do my homework or being sent to the principal’s office for using chocolate milk to draw outside the classroom door. I think I’ve improved a lot since then.
I’m glad that you two made me pick up programming, however reluctant I was at the start. I’ve always found it pretty fun since then and now I guess I’m trying to make a future out of it.
It probably wasn’t very easy, but I’m grateful for all the support I’ve been given for my own interests, whether it be driving me to basketball practice and those faraway tournaments when I was younger to helping me learn to cook. Even recently when I didn’t have my license yet, driving me 40 minutes every day to work at a kitchen because I like to cook.
In a bit more than a week, I’ll be leaving you both and living on my own, but I want you to know how much I appreciate everything that you guys have given me. I hope that in college and after, I can become successful enough to make you two not have to worry about me.
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Thank you for always supporting me and being willing to help. Thank you also for pushing me and finding opportunities I would have otherwise missed.
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I don’t thank you enough — not for the time you’ve spent working so that I could be free to pursue my dreams, not for the remarkable patience you’ve shown when I’ve acted less than mature, and not for the impossible responsibilities you somehow manage to juggle for my and my 妹妹’s sake. Though we have our disagreements, I know they are borne only because you want the best for me. Isn’t it remarkable that I have someone who values my existence so intrinsically? You are the reason I have achieved what I have achieved; you are the reason I am who I am. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
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Thank you for letting me choose my own path. You have pointed me in the right direction by giving me the tools to succeed. No matter what happened you always told me that I could do anything I wanted to.
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I can’t even begin to describe how grateful I am for everything you have done. You have always been my biggest supporters, and your endless love, understanding, care, and invaluable advice have brought me so far. You have cheered me along at my successes, and helped me see my disappointments as successes too! Thank you for all that you have given me, and I can’t wait to start this next part of this journey together!
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Thank you for your endless love and support. Your combination of strong guidance and respect for my own opinions and feelings has gotten me to this point. Knowing I could come to you to talk through any problem or decision, such as choosing the right school and classes for me, meant so much. I cannot wait to start college and I could not have done it without your help!
