the world. As their skills and knowledge develop, young adoles - cents become more confident and self - assured. It doesn’t matter if they eventually give up their initial area of in - terest in order to pursue another: the habits of learning, explor - ing, persisting and mastering transfer beautifully from one inter - est to another. For these reasons, a major aim of the High School Readiness pro - gram is to support 7th graders in identifying their authentic inter - ests. These may or may not be interests that their parents share. When students can express what really interests them, and re - ceive support in pursuing those interests, they are better able to stay motivated through the inevitable ups and downs of master - ing a skill. They are also much better able to find a high school that will allow them to develop their abilities in an area of great personal interest. Ultimately, this is more likely to produce an adult who is pursuing an occupation that they enjoy and that can support them. We have all heard of highly successful professionals who lament that they lived up to other people’s expectations without ever really knowing what they wanted to do with their lives. Often these professionals quit mid - way through one career to find an - other one that suits their newfound passions. It is critical for the 7th graders to identify their own areas of interest so that they can use these as a spur to their own positive development --- and to access a high school that is just right for them.
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