Avid about Vestal

"Avid" isn't a word that pops up much in everyday conversation. I've always thought of it as a synonym for "eager" or "enthusiastic." After yesterday's guest speaker experience, at Vestal School, a K-8 school in Northeast Portland, I'll never use the word again without thinking of the enthusiasm and attentiveness I saw in the faces of students I spoke to in a crowded, second-floor classroom.

A long-time friend, Elsa Guiney, a school counselor at Vestal, invited me to come talk to some 40 students who participate in the AVID program. The acronym stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination. As Elsa explained to me, it's a program that selects motivated students that do not have a history in their family of going to college. It starts in 7th grade and goes through high school helping students develop the skills and determination to attend college. All of the AVID students from nearby Madison High School last year were accepted to four-year colleges.

As someone who was the first in my family to attend college, and who (for better and worse) navigated that journey basically on my own, I was happy to accept. My parents, both from large families and needing to help out at home, didn't have the opportunity to go beyond the 8th grade. From the time I was in elementary school, I was keenly aware that while I could not go to either one for homework help the way my peers did, my mom and dad always encouraged me to do well in school and established an expectation that I would go to college.

Looking into the innocent faces of these tweens and answering their earnest questions, I felt good sharing my story -- how I got into journalism in high school, how I knew instantly and forever that is what I wanted to do, and how lucky I've been to do it professionally for 30-plus years. Likewise, I felt good that they seemed to really listen and absorb the advice I offered.

Build good habits now -- such as being on time and planning ahead -- and that will serve you well on your path to, during and after college, I told them. In addition, I urged them to be self-starters, to persevere and to be resourceful.

Lastly, have a sense of adventure. Dare to go beyond what's familiar and surprise yourself with what you'll learn about yourself and the world around you. Going away to college, especially out of state, will introduce you to new ideas, new people and places, new cultures and climates, new everything. Embrace the newness.

I left with a nice gift -- a candy-filled coffee mug with the school's likeness -- but more than that I left with a feeling that maybe I'd helped reinforce the value of a college education and given these mostly minority kids, kids just like me, some practical advice that would stick with them.

Photo: Portland Public Schools