My favorite part of being the alumni coordinator here at Cary Academy is following the paths that our 1,600+ alums take after they graduate. The diversity of choices is amazing. We have lots of lawyers—I’m a bit partial to them since I graduated from law school myself. We have doctors and nurses; PhD’s in fields ranging from physics to literature. We have solar panel designers, installers, and maintainers. We have river keepers, expedition guides, and travel writers. We have lots of engineers, programmers, business gurus, and teachers. There have been more than a few alumni professions that I have had to Google just to figure out what they actually do.

While there is a lot of diversity in the paths taken by graduates of Cary Academy, there are a few consistent themes that start to appear when you see as many paths as I do. First, our graduates work really hard. There is no shortage of work ethic in this group. Second, our graduates are pretty good at following their passions. While some graduate Cary Academy knowing exactly what they want to do, most find their passion along the way. Finally, whatever their paths, graduates of Cary Academy tend to be leaders.

I truly believe that the best way to judge a school is to look at their alumni population. By that metric—along with many others, I should add—Cary Academy is one of the best schools in the country. Cary Academy doesn’t teach for a test—our students are instead taught that asking questions and really understanding the why is the goal. If a Cary Academy student has a passion, they are encouraged to follow it and be successful doing it. Cary Academy graduates think creatively, ask lots of questions, and solve problems. Do you know what sort of person that sounds like? Someone who will excel no matter which path they choose to follow.

The journey of life can be bumpy; it can wind in all sorts of directions and turn you around a few times. To find your passion and have success in those conditions requires a solid foundation. I’m proud to say that I graduated from Cary Academy in the very first graduating class. My foundation is solid, which is something I have in common with the 1,600+ other Cary Academy alumni. I cannot wait to see all the different paths our future alumni will choose.