Pickerington graduates give advice for the 2018 class

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Abigayle O’Neil, North, Class of 2017

I’m not sure of the exact number of graduates, but I know it was over 300. That’s for sure.

I am now studying early childhood education at Mount Vernon Nazarene University and loving it.

My advice to the class of 2018 is to take as many pictures as you can between now and going to college. They will be what you look at when you get homesick at school. Also, enjoy as many home-cooked meals as you can.

Janelle Guirreri, Central, Class of 2004

There were 656 students in my class.

I teach general music at Violet and Pickerington elementary schools. This is my first year of teaching in the Pickerington Local School District. Before that, I taught in Columbus for nine years.

There are three parts to my advice for this year’s graduates.

First impressions count. So many connections from college have helped me in my career. Always do your best, because you never know what lies ahead. Unexpected opportunities may come your way because you showed someone that you were professional and capable.

Don’t forget to check in with your parents. They will become your friends.

Celebrate the small things. Life gets tougher. Now is the time for you to try new things and meet people you never thought you would be friends with. You don’t know what the job market will be in the future. Prepare yourself to be flexible.

Jason Diehl, Class of 1997

There were 497 in my graduating class.

I am an entrepreneur. My wife, Jen, and I own two Pickerington-based e-commerce businesses Ritzy Rose and Vintage Diehls. We just passed seven years with our businesses. I do everything. I’m the accountant, the photographer, the web designer and the chief worker who gets things packaged and out the door. Jen is the buyer and designer. We have had to pivot away from having a storefront, changing our products so that we sell what people want to buy and things that we can package and ship efficiently.

My advice for graduating students is to dream big and plan well. A lot of people dream big, but they don’t make good plans. We always knew we wanted to work for ourselves. We discovered that it takes a lot of planning, discipline and sacrifice. Make sure you always have yourself covered. Seek out advice from successful people. We had a lot of mentors, and we’ve followed their advice. Be humble and ready to soak up knowledge. Read and watch videos.

Know that there will be setbacks. Be ready to pivot, with skills and tools that carry forward when things change. Keep filling your toolbox and see what sticks. Keep evolving.

Kevin Strait, Class of 1978

There were 163 in my graduating class.

I am a Realtor who works in both residential and commercial real estate and in land development.

I think that new graduates are probably wondering, “How can I be successful?” You go out into the world and you treat other people the way you would like to be treated. Always be honest and hardworking.

I believe I once heard Rita Ricketts say, “Plan your work and work your plan,” and I think that is great advice. A lot of people don’t take the time to plan. There is so much going on in life, that maybe they just forget to plan.

Learn from your failures. I’ve probably learned more from my failures than from my successes. We live in a society today where there is a lot of “someone should hand it to me,” and if they don’t get it, they look on it as failure, when, really, they just need to work at it. Figure out what it is you want. Make a plan, start working that plan, learn from your mistakes, and just keep on working.

Anita LeGrand, Class of 1958

There were 23 in my class. Our school was in the building that is now Heritage Elementary School. It was the only school building, and there were 300 kids in grades 1 through 12.

I have been retired for 18 years. I worked in the finance department of the Ohio Department of Transportation for 27 years. Before that, I worked in private industry. I lived in California for five years, but I missed my small town and came back.

I thought about my advice for the class of 2018. That’s a hard one to answer. The classes are so large now that it’s hard to know everyone. Don’t let go of your youthful friendships. Try to stay close and stay in touch. Most of my classmates and I are still together. Friendships and relationships have meant everything to my age group. This was a farming community. We didn’t have people who lived right next door to us. Our school was a close-knit group. This is the 60th year for our class. We still have so much in common and so much to talk about. We don’t talk about old age. Even the ones who don’t live here join us when they come to town. We make sure they know that we are getting together.

Regardless of what you do in life, enjoy it. Take time to make friends. Take time for family. Time gets away oh so fast.

Brenda Layman is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.