Carly

This girl is on fire.

Carly and I have been working together on her writing skills for a while. Last year, it was all about her college essays. This year, she’s attending her first-choice university.

A couple of days ago, Carly texted, wondering if I could help on an application to a highly selective campus club. I was happy to. I admire Carly’s ambition. She’s fearless, clear-eyed. She’s also really smart, with learning differences that make fluid writing a challenge. Our way of working together is simple: we talk things through before she writes them down in an everything-including-the-kitchen-sink fashion. Along the way, I might suggest something, and Carly is as likely to say no as yes. Afterwards, we return to the document to edit. Ultimately, what emerges is precisely what she intended to say.  

It was cool to see Carly on my laptop screen, her background a dorm room in Colorado instead of a bedroom in Connecticut. When I asked how she liked school, she said she’d never been happier. 

She told me what she was up to. She had joined two competitive skiing clubs and a club for women interested in entrepreneurship.  She was pursuing a volunteer opportunity off-campus and planned to rush a sorority in the spring. Oh, and she was super excited about the hiking club, which was meeting up this weekend.

I was about to caution her about getting overextended, lest she burn herself out.  But I took in Carly’s grin. The stack of power bar wrappers on her desk. The light in her eyes.

So I ended up not saying anything except wow, but I was thinking yes. Of course. This is your time to burn.