As the days of graduation grow closer each day, the Class of 2018 will soon depart from Taipei American School. To equip the seniors for their transition from high school to college, the administration arranged for author Michael Pollock to speak at a senior-exclusive assembly.
On March 11 and 12, the guest speaker spoke to the seniors in the Lecture Hall about “Thrivival.” His speech focused on the importance of creating a smooth transition from high school to college, specifically for third culture kids.
Pollock, a third culture kid himself, provided a bagful of tools for fitting in at college more easily. Throughout his presentation, Pollock concentrated on RAFT, an acronym for reconciliation, affirmation, farewells, and think destination.
His speech is a stepping stone for seniors to leave the school with positive terms. Throughout high school, students form and break bonds with others. Pollock urged everyone to reconcile with those they may have hurt to avoid feeling trapped by regret. He says, “You may think that you can forget about the broken bond with that one person, but you will be carrying an invisible luggage of resentment for the rest of your life.”