My grandfather’s high school wisdom

High School. Depending on who you ask, it is a place of self-growth and learning, or of survival and terror.

Movies and books tell us we will remain triumphant and slay the beasts of self-hatred, bullies, and less-than-average teachers, but usually neglect what comes after.

My grandfather, Charles Herman, went to a private Catholic High School in the 1940s. In 2020, I’m a sophomore at my local public high school. His school was a widespread community of white boys, mine is a diverse group from a single town.

Despite the differences, my grandfather’s stance remained firm throughout our interview: “It doesn’t matter if you were in a high school back in the old days, you were always applying yourself to a subject you thought was worthy.”

At the beginning of the interview, I was skeptical. After all, how could two different schools in two different times ever be similar?

My grandfather’s stories only seemed to prove my initial skepticism.

“I had a choice between typing and chemistry. Back then, typing was more useful, so I chose the subject and got involved in the world of typing.”

“Aha!” I thought. This was a perfect example of changing times. Both typing and chemistry were elective classes (compared to schools now requiring a physical science credit for graduation), but their value has almost flipped.

“I suppose if I was in high school now, I would have chosen differently. Taking a chemistry class now is a whole lot more useful now. It seems like kids now are born knowing how to type on their phone,” he says.

Throughout the interview prep and much of the interview itself, I thought it was impossible there could be similarities between his 70-year old experience and my current one. I was sure of my stance until my grandfather started taking it apart piece by piece.

“A lot of what you learn in school is not necessarily connected to the Peloponnesian War, but to organization and planning which are what really help you in the future.”

Suddenly it hit me. While the content, punishments or procedures have changed and morphed over time, the lasting impact of high school has remained the same. Taking a typing class in the 1940s had the same lasting impact that taking chemistry in 2020 has. You learn a new skill or gain knowledge which serves to aid you in your independent adult life.

Or, in the words of my grandfather, “What you’re really learning is how to proceed, approach, analyze and evaluate a problem, and I imagine that’s the same now.”