Academic Accolades

I thought we were saving so much money by Bill taking Calvin's senior pictures. . . then I remembered about the camera collection. . . .

Congrats to Calvin, that is John Calvin. . .
Did you know Calvin's full name is John Calvin Kotrba. He's named after my grandpa, who was an Iowa farmer. At this point, Calvin has his blue eyes and his dimples, but that's really about all they have in common. I kinda remember when my grandpa earned his GED--to graduate from high school. He must have been in his fifties. Then along came my mom, and she (and my uncle) were going to college. That was a really big deal. Iowa farms girls didn't have a ton of options to study at that time. They could be a nurse or a teacher. My mom graduated from Iowa State and became a home economics teacher. Bill's folks grew up around Chicago and advanced education was a little more of a given. Now Calvin and Mary have a suburban education, myriad options for college and advanced degrees are pretty much expected. Time marches on.

Just a note, our public schools in District 196 rock and the opportunities for the kids are unbelievable. All of this is mostly to say thanks to all the teachers we know but also to give Calvin a moment of congrats.

Calvin is a Semifinalist in the 2019 National Merit Scholarship Program.
How come he is so smart when I have to run spell check on my blogs?
I don't know. I'm just thankful that every generation gets smarter.

If I had to voice an opinion about why kids do or don't test well, I would credit Calvin with two habits. The habit of voracious reading. Calvin reads everything. Conservative publications, liberal publications. Fantasy novels that are a million pages long. The Wall Street Journal--almost everyday. The second thing I think I would credit is piano. The ability to focus on a task for a given amount of time. The development of concentration and creativity in music.

Reading and music. The perfect storm.
Congrats Calvin--Bill and I are proud of your academic success and I'm happy to celebrate you in my blog today. We are also mostly proud of your heart and your faith and all the things you are off the testing page.

Love you,
Mama and Daddy

http://www.district196.org/blog/2018/09/12/district-196-seniors-recognized-by-national-merit-scholarship-program/