A sea of caps and gowns processes into the auditorium to the familiar trumpet-and-clarinet of “Pomp and Circumstance.” Graduation always brings a wash of emotions to families. Proud moms, dads, and grandparents watch their student walk across the stage and wonder how they got to this moment so quickly. But for students, the emotions have been running high all week. They played in their last baseball game or ran in their last track meet. Their lockers are cleaned out. They sat through all the award ceremonies and watched the highlight reel videos. And now, it’s time for the next step.
This traditional end-of-high-school routine isn’t anything new. It’s been the way high school wraps up for decades.
We’ve spent the past several weeks reflecting on how, at the end of the day, high school experiences haven’t changed much over the decades. We’ve covered hard work in the classroom, the sacrifices parents make, big losses, finding purpose, being all in, being seen by teachers, and more. And from student and staff member stories, we’ve learned:
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Losses don’t define us.
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Grades aren’t everything.
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Older siblings don’t set your path.
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Being seen by adults can change everything.
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Courage matters.
High school experiences are formative. It’s a season when identities solidify, habits take root, and insecurities grow quickly.
Many parents wonder who their student will be when it’s time for them to step into the real world. By the time students reach high school, much of their daily development happens beyond a parent's direct control. Friends, teachers, coaches, and culture all have a shaping influence. That can feel both hopeful and unsettling at the same time.
At LuHi, we know our parents desire their students to:
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Be resilient
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Be able to stand on their own two feet
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Make God-honoring choices
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Cultivate deep relationships
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Sift through wise and foolish advice
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Ask tough questions and seek the answers
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Have an ever-maturing faith
In short, LuHi parents want their students’ confidence to be rooted in Christ while finding a supportive Christian community.
It’s a task that sometimes feels too big. Unmanageable. There’s a lot to worry about:
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Social pressures
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Academic stresses
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Cultural misguidance
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Shifting moral standards
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Technology overload and digital noise
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Conflicting worldly values
As much as has stayed the same, our world looks a whole lot different than it did 10, 20, or 30 years ago. (Our final episode of the High School Time Machine series turns specifically to the changes and new struggles today’s teenagers face.)
Foundation and Formation
In a recent video, Senior Theology Teacher Craig Parrott marvels at the trust parents put in LuHi and its staff to help cultivate these characteristics in their students. It really is a weighty and honorable responsibility. At LuHi, we can’t stop the world from influencing students or hide students from the pressures and stresses out there.
But we can, and do, point them back to Jesus, who constantly invites us to not be afraid but to trust in Him and cast our cares at His feet. Jesus is the foundation. Adults at LuHi get to participate in students’ formation.
Our seniors are gearing up to walk across the graduation stage, clean out their lockers, and say goodbye to teachers and friends. They have lots of changes in store. But one thing they will hear, and continue to hear, from LuHi is, “You always have a home here.” We are always floored by how many alumni walk through our doors during Summer, Fall, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Spring breaks.
Because belonging doesn’t stop after graduation at LuHi. And neither does Christian community.
You can listen to all the episodes of the High School Time Machine series now wherever you get your podcasts. Be sure to tune into our wrap-up episode about what is different about high school, dropping on May 25th.
But in the meantime, we wanted to leave you with one final reflection question to keep the conversation going with your student at home:
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Parents: Ten years from now, what kind of person do you hope these four years helped your student become?
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Students: Ten years from now, what kind of person do you hope these four years helped you become?
