What college to go to? What field to study? Who do you wanna be? Where do you wanna go to achieve it? What are your goals? Who is gonna help you to get there? If you could snap your fingers and be there tomorrow, where ARE you?
It's something that all of us at that age probably didn't REALLY know the answer to. Maybe we had a guess... a hope... a dream. Some were absolutely SURE... others had no idea.
So when Alison Vavra entered in my studio all decked out in a dance costume and pointe shoe... I might have ventured a guess as to where she wanted to be. And if I would have guessed... I would have been dead wrong
Maybe a dance studio owner? A background dancer for a stage show? It's hard to say. What I did know was that she was a student instructor for Pam Wood's School of Dance in Toledo. What I didn't know... was what Alison REALLY wanted to do.
That's why I asked.
Ali told me that if she has it her way, she hopes to transfer to the University of Iowa after spending a year or two at Marshalltown Community College and if all things go well... she'll be studying Psychology.
My first thought was laying on a couch... being psycho analyzed by Dr. Vavra... picking my brain as to what all my troubles are. But after talking to Ali, I'm hoping that I NEVER get that opportunity.
Why?
Because the girl has bigger issues she wants to tackle.
In an answer I never recall hearing after the college/career line of questioning, Alison told me she ultimately wouldn't mind working in a facility like a prison where our societies deepest problems lie. I did a double take... and asked our beautiful young guest for the day WHY on Earth she wanted to go there?
Her answer?
"Oh... I dunno... it's just always made me curious... and I want to dig deeper. I want to figure out why people have real issues."
Not sure why... but I wasn't expecting that answer.
I admire that in Ali... her desire to go off the beat and path to chase what really drives her. Will she ultimately do it? Only time will tell. But I give her a tip of the cap to not be afraid to chase her dream.
In the meantime, however... this dance instructor/tennis player/aquatic center worker/vikings fan had senior images to make, and make images we did. Mama Jo and I were killin' it all over town to bring out the best in Miss Ali, and I felt we did just that. I might have been swayed by the fact that Alison and her mom tried for a second to make me believe that they were actually Steelers fans instead of the Purple People Eaters from the state to the north of us... but hey, if people have learned one thing from me over the years... flattery will get you everywhere with this dude. So if telling me you're a fan of the boys from the Steel City is the angle you wanna play to get yourself preferential treatment... I'm gonna listen... and listen read good.
Even if I'm being psychoanalyzed.
Thanks Team Vavra... you were alot of fun.
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