My Nephew Connor

Connor at age 16

After completing two years of high school in a vocational technical school, Connor decided this year not to continue in the public school system. I am very confused as to why the public school system did not work for him. I know him to be an intelligent young man with a very strong work ethic.

Connor worked with his father on weekends since he was a pre-teenager as a locksmith installing security alarm systems.

People in the neighborhood were sorry that he outgrew his paper route because he was always conscientious and polite.

Most recently he worked in a local restaurant until it went out of business.

Connor has always been fascinated by motorcycles. He had a series of bicycles as a young boy, one of which had special rods on the front wheel which he stood on to do trick riding.

At the age of eleven He designed and built his own bicycle.


He then moved on to miniature motorcycles. He worked with his father on the design, fabrication, and maintenance of motorcycles.

In the meantime in school he was very popular with other students (and a few select teachers) and he participated in school sports. Connor was a free spirit, as evidenced by the following pictures, and was often at odds with the school administrators.






You can imagine then, how excited Connor was when a recruiter from a vocational technical school promised him that he would be able to study metalworking (think about a career in motorcycle and car design). He spent two years at the technical school but was never admitted to the metalworking program.

Now I would have preferred that he stayed in school but I respect his decision. (I dropped out of school after high school but went on to become vice president of a billion dollar company). I can only hope that he doesn't give up on an education. There are alternatives including on-the-job training in a trade of his choice. I feel certain that whatever choices he makes, I will be as proud of him as I am today.

Why am I proud today? As a first step, Connor studied for the GED examination, and guess what - he aced it!

Overall test scores - Higher than 80% of graduating seniors state-wide.

English Language and writing - Near perfect score.

Connor is a good person who is well mannered, respectful, sensitive, and kind. I would like to share something that Connor wrote.

We were astounded when we first saw the poem that Connor. at age eight, had written on a blackboard in his bedroom. His choice of very precise words and phrases to describe various members of his family is so impressive. The nuances of the descriptions can only be appreciated and understood by the family members. The meaning of the final line or title of the poem has dual meanings depending on whether you read the word "matters" as a noun or a verb.