Navig8 Perseverance

Each time we go down to Port Aransas as a family, we use the car ferry to get across to the island. Occasionally, we have to wait for a ship to cross in front of us as it makes its way along the channel to reach the Gulf of Mexico. These ships are not small. They are huge oil tankers or cargo carriers and I always play a game with my girls to see who remembers the names of the ships we’ve seen when I put them to bed at night. 

This weekend we took our eldest daughter, Megan, and her friends down for their Senior trip. It was a celebration of the hard work they’ve done throughout their high school careers, achieving top results and coveted places in colleges across the country. The college admissions process in the US is nothing short of intimidating. And to first generation immigrants like myself, it’s a learning curve like no other. I’ve navigated many new things as a foreigner, but this has topped them all as the most exasperating. 

Without going in to all the details, I can say that I am in awe of these 8 girls who have challenged themselves with AP and honors classes, volunteered hours of community service, started non-profit organizations and small businesses, participated in music programs and clubs and sports and extra-curricular activities with schedules that would make your head spin.

So when this particular ship crossed in front of our ferry, I couldn’t quite believe the name I was seeing on its bow. It felt prophetic and affirming, of these girls and of me. And while I lay on the beach with some time to think, it became clearer as to why. Whilst I have had to face some disappointment of slowing down my writing and my coaching business, Navigate Transition, I have not been idle. I have been persevering at learning and guiding and coaching my own daughter through this important transition in her life.

It is with extreme pride that we send her off to Texas A&M in the fall to start the honors program in neuroscience. She has climbed mountains to get here. And togetherwe are Navig8 Perseverance.