Dr. Michael G. Thompson (Continued)

How much/little should parents be involved in the college application process?

Parents should start out by not being involved much at all because a boy needs to feel that the process belongs to him. The feeling of ownership is motivating; feeling that your mother is going to do it for you is actually de-motivating. Parents ask, "How is it going?” or "Is there anything we can do to help you?" They should step in more when he gets overwhelmed or asks for help.

--How did you encourage your own kids re: their future plans?

Future orientation is a developmental achievement of middle adolescence. Boys younger than sixteen don't have a lot of future orientation; a few do, but most don't. Don't be alarmed by that. It will come in time. The most important thing to ask your son is, "What are you thinking you'll do about college? What do you think your major is likely to be?"

You spoke to students about pivotal life events. How do we help them look at the big picture and prioritize the 'right' things? And not become defeated over things like not getting into their 'dream' school?

Are the college years the most important years in someone's life? I'm not sure that's true. I always feel sad for adults who say that college was their best years of their life. Really? It has all been downhill since the age of twenty-three?

The truth is that most boys will go to college, meet friends who like them and do well. I have been in education for more than fifty years. I have seen almost no students who have carried the wound of not getting into their first choice for more than a few months. The few who couldn't bear the rejection buckled down, got better grades and transferred to their first-choice college after a year or two.

--Is there a single most important thing/mindset/approach a parent should keep in mind through the overall raising of a teen boy? Is it weighing things that seem important against the big question, "Will this teenager grow up to be an independent, productive, loving adult?"

If you are worried about whether your son is going to grow up to be a moral, loving independent young adult, all you have to do is look at the way he treats his friends, his siblings, his grandparents and you can see the loving, moral man he is going to become. The problem for parents is that often a boy, in pursuit of his own autonomy and independence, reserves his most sullen and withholding behavior for his mom and dad. That makes it hard for them to feel that he is going to become a wonderful man.

What are concerning signs of anxiety/stress that parents should watch for?

If you see that your son is anxious, tell him that you are concerned about him because you don't want him to be burdened by too much worry. Then listen to his response.

--How can parents support their children who are searching for connection, recognition and a sense of power, in an age appropriate way?

Respect any efforts your child makes to connect with a teacher, to connect with a friend and to take on a challenging task. He mostly takes your love for granted and counts on it. Your respect for him will sometimes surprise him because he imagines you still think of him as a little boy. He will always feel and appreciate your respect for him.

Junior Retreat Further Unites Class of 2024

Coming together, celebrating unity, leadership as soon-to-be-seniors, getting right with God, getting to know ourselves better, loving our families and friends, appreciating Tech brotherhood these were the uplifting themes of the junior class’ recent day-long retreat.

“I really enjoyed my junior retreat, but felt a little sad because everything has gone by so fast,” Noah Martinez wrote to Mr Rudy Herrera after the retreat. “My favorite quote is ‘Don’t be sad that it’s over; be happy that it happened.’ I believe Father Chinh also said this during his last Mass with us. Overall, I’m really happy how the retreat turned out and really appreciate what you (Mr. H.) and the staff does for us. Thank you.”

God bless you, Class of 2024!