Congratulation!!!!!!!

[MICAH1]

I like to send a shout out to Jay Sweezy (Redskinsjbs) who will be walking across the stage to receive his high school diploma from Bethesda Chevy-Chase High School this morning. Way to go Jay!!!!!

[neuropel]

Congrats Jay!

[BQS4]

Congratulations!!!!!!!

[Rionart]

Well Done!!

[Aardvaark]

Way to go! Congrats Jay.

[jerseydave]

Job well done Jay!

[sawdust]

Congradulations, but don't stop there.

[Phoenix]

Congrats, Man!

[Redskinsjbs]

I'd like to thank everyone for their support and enthusiasm. Finally being finished with this stage in my life is a great relief and something which I have been looking forward to for a very long time.

I will be taking a year off next year, but following that I do hope to attend school. Right now, my favorite is Carnegie Melon, but we shall see how that view changes in the year to come.

Again, I really do want to thank everyone in this community, both for your support today and all of the help you have given me over the past year; it is immeasurable in every way.

[saxybiker]

Jay:

We would like to chime in and offer our congratulations, also.
Way to go!!!

Vickie & Allen

[gtblast]

Jay,

Congratulations!! I agree with the above, don't stop here.

[markandson]

Finally being finished with this stage in my life is a great relief and something which I have been looking forward to for a very long time.

I understand your sentiment as I did not like school much either, but I have found, along with the rest of the over 30 community, that life is extremely short and you should savor each phase of it as you progress. This part of your life, when you look back in 30 years, you will deem to be the most simple and innocent since you have very little to worry about, enjoy every day. Now with all that out of the way CONGRATS ON YOUR GRADUATION!!!! No excuse not have that car at next Carlisle.

[Paul]

I will be taking a year off next year, but following that I do hope to attend school.

First, I too want to congratulate you on making through HS. For many of us it was not easy to keep the focus and stick it out. I know its a relief and you'd like to take a break. And after a year off you may come back with a renewed effort and do well. However, speaking as a parent, not continuing to stay in school has some effects that some young folks may not be aware of...

First, if you are presently covered by your parents insurance, you will lose your coverage when fall semester starts. Its up to you to see if that is an issue.

The other issue is one of income tax. If someone has been claming you as a dependant and getting the tax break because of it, they will lose the ability to claim you when you are no longer in school. This will be a substantial loss for them.

To prevent this, I have, in the past had my oldest daughter, who was planning to attend as less than a full time student, sign up for the extra class only to drop it later. I know this cost more in college tuition, but it saved me more money come tax time than it cost...

Just something to think about....enjoy your summer and then see how you feel later. You might have changed your mind by then...

[neuropel]

Kudos to Paul for laying it out there like that! When I read that you were taking a year off, I had mixed feelings and many of the same concerns crossed my mind. (NOTE - this is where I begin to sound like an old Fart) When I graduated HS, I had NO idea what I wanted to do (in some respects I still don't but that's another story), but it became clear(er) to me as I gained new experiences in college. As it turned out, graduating HS was only the halfway point as I was in school for 24 years straight. The longer you go, the MORE you want to take that year off, trust me! I knew myself well enough to realize that if I had taken a year off here or there I would have likely gotten side tracked and never returned. My advice is simple - just make sure that taking a year off is what's best for you, and use the time to reflect on what you want to do with your life. If you use the year effectively, you'll come back as a mature, focused adult, motivated to pursue a career path that fits your interests and skills. Be warned - it takes a lot of discipline, especially when you see your friends that went straight through graduating a year ahead of you, getting jobs, and getting a head start. Sometimes life is all about timing (check out Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers"), and that timing can have consequences (good and bad) that follow you all the way through life. I met and spoke with you briefly at Carlisle, and I suspect you have a good game plan, so take all this advice only for what it is. No one knows you better than YOU, but don't discount the advice of us older folks. We've been in your shoes before at this very same crossroad and had all the same wishes, the same excitement, and the same fears.