Exciting and Eager 18!

Happy Birthday Greta Corleen! As always, we reach Cinco de Mayo and I am stunned by how quickly the last year passed, and how much you grew up as we circled around the sun.

You had an amazing Spring of 2022, enjoying mountain biking and performing spoken word poetry, dazzling at your junior prom and symphonic band concerts, and nailing AP and final exams. You really pushed (but also paced) yourself, and the results set you up for an exciting senior year.

The summer accelerated as you began working "for real" as a camp counselor at the Albany Academies, commuting during rush hour, working 7:30-4:30, and banking a bona fide paycheck (with "so many taxes!").  You still found time to play, having ice cream and BBQ outings with friends, kayaking at South Lake with cousins, and playing your flute under the pine trees of Bristol Hills.  The summer highlight for me was spending a week in Boston with you, Emily, and Aunt Colleen as we embarked on an intense college visit tour to help you decide where to apply. In addition to the wonderful memories made that week, I watched you confidently explore the city and knew regardless of what college location you selected, all would be well: you are so ready to begin the next chapter!

But first, there was senior year to contend with...a jam-packed schedule (no lunch break yet again), a stack of college mail to scour nearly every day, and additional college visits as you curated your list.  With so many options, your dad and I are glad that you know yourself very well, and are thankful that you set clear requirements to help narrow your search.  You were thrilled to be able to take the high school classes you desired (your guidance counselor worked magic to fit in three different social studies courses!), and you challenged yourself with honors and AP curriculum.  Your love of learning has never waned, and that curiosity will serve you in your next academic chapter, as well as throughout your life.

You kicked off the New Year with an awesome Model UN trip to the CNY MUN Conference at Syracuse University, where your team was recognized for Outstanding Diplomacy.  I can't remember what your country was or the resolution you pushed for, but I think it was your encouragement and mentorship of the younger students and strong but fair negotiation skills that most impressed the judges. Your planning and execution of the trip again showcased your maturity and organization, and confirmed that you are truly ready for the challenges of adulthood.

The winter brought a fun, new opportunity: performing with the pit orchestra for the high school musical, A Chorus Line.  The score took your playing to new heights, and the camaraderie you developed with your fellow musicians made the senior year even more amusing (although 70 text messages in one evening seems a little much ;) ).

You also busied yourself with community service through your Girl Scout Troop and as a Delegate for the Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York. We finally added your various badges and pins to your vest and it is incredible to realize all that you accomplished throughout high school as an Ambassador and Cadette.  Your embodiment of the promise and the law is inspiring, and those values are certain to serve as a compass should you need one.

Something tells me, though, that you know exactly where your true north is.  That was clear as I watched you consider interesting offers from Northeastern, Tufts, Dickinson, Cornell, and Seton Hall, and choose American University (which coincidentally [or not?] was the first college we visited!). While I am sure you would have had an amazing experiences at any of those schools, seeing you at AU and the excitement you had for their curriculum, professors, campus, and location made it easy to share your enthusiasm and certainty.  I have complete confidence that DC is the right place to write your next chapter, and that you will love studying, living, working, and playing in the Nation's Capital as much as I did when I was just a little bit older than you are now.

And so it is a bittersweet realization that today was likely our last birthday together for a while, as you will probably be in the midst of final exams this time next year. What a look back that will be! For now, though, know that I love you and wish you the happiest of birthdays.  You are my sunshine, and I am so proud of you...now make a wish!