Work as team on high school pressure

As an alumni of Naperville North High School and parent of three graduates, I'm very sensitive to helping create a positive change in light of recent events at NNHS.

Regarding kids feeling pressured to succeed, this is where the parents need to get involved. We live in a society/community where kids are expected to succeed, usually by attending college. We have to work together to express to kids that it's OK to go to community college or a trade school, not just a four-year college. We easily set up our kids to think this is the only way. We need to provide avenues and direction to all students with how to use their talents and gifts to a means to the future.

I do not believe that NNHS has put pressure on the kids to take advanced classes and to take extracurricular activities in order to get in the best colleges. I think this takes root in the home and our community, where many professionals live. Out of their own success, they expect their children to excel and follow in their footsteps. From this, our kids have felt pressure.

It doesn't help that our own state is not supporting our colleges with money to relieve the rising tuition costs. This in itself causes pressure on our families to push our kids to get the best grades to get in the best colleges.

We must come together as a community; schools and parents must help our children work through these tough times to realize that they can do it on their own and learn from their own mistakes. We can guide them as parents but we cannot make decisions for them.

Suzanne Troy

Naperville