Life 101: high school seniors take note

On the precipice of becoming adults, high school seniors have a lot to think about. College bound or not, big issues loom in the not-too-distant future. From finding a job to paying for car insurance, personal safety and apartment rental, there is plenty to learn about the life ahead – both scary and exciting at the same time.

To assuage some of the anxiety, Sonoma Valley High School seniors were given a crash course in life skills on Thursday, thanks to the Soroptimists International of Sonoma Valley. Bused to the Sonoma Veterans Memorial Hall in the early morning, the 250-plus seniors started the day with breakfast, courtesy of Ramekins. Ten different breakout sessions followed and students were told to choose three topics in which they were interested.

Each topic – presented in an interactive format to keep students engaged – was presented by one or two high-level business professionals, well versed in the subjects at hand. The topics ranged from time management to vocational work opportunities as well as college preparation skills.

Student Victoria Dhelan sat in on, “Financial Fitness” and said learning how to establish credit was extremely helpful. Allison Cobb liked the “Survive in College” session. “I was interested to learn that colleges have career centers. But it was especially helpful to hear about someone else’s experiences and hopes and dreams for college,” said Cobb, referring to the college presenter who spoke to the crowd.

This is the first time the Road to Reality event, formerly known as “Hit the Road,” was held at the Sonoma Veterans Memorial Hall. Previous incarnations – both single-sex and co-ed – have been held at various locations around the county, most recently at Infineon Raceway. The Sonoma Veterans Memorial Hall offered a venue closer to home to keep costs down. The Soroptimists, nonetheless, budgeted $25,000 to hold the event.

“The event didn’t happen last year for logistical and budgetary reasons,” said Maddy Leader, club president. “We are happy to be back with a new format.”

Soroptimist Jean Hopeman agreed. “This event teaches students how to be in charge of their own lives. With this knowledge, they can learn how to make decisions and gain some independence.”