Editor's note: This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity and length. You can listen to this conversation by clicking the LISTEN button above.
Rick Brewer: Sending a child away to college can be an emotional experience for both a child and a parent. Bea Chapman is a recent Mount Pleasant High School graduate. They sat down with their Mom Robyn Chapman as they prepare for their journey to enter college next fall. They recently sat down with each other to get and give advice as this milestone approaches.
Bea Chapman: When you graduated high school and you were going out into the world, how is it different today than it was when you graduated and left for college?
Robyn Chapman: Well, I graduated in 1992.
BC: You're old.
RC: Thank you.
BC: You're welcome.
RC: And you know at that point, I mean, we had computers obviously, but it wasn't an everyday sort of thing. You still had phone lines if you wanted to talk to somebody, you had to call their house. And I don't feel like it was as overwhelming as things are now. You just didn't know what you didn't know. I kind of played it safe. I went to school in my hometown. I grew up in Las Vegas and I went to school at UNLV, but I lived on campus, so I had that college experience of going away, you couldn't e-mail. I really felt more on my own. It was me and my friends.
BC: Right, right.
RC: And if I had an issue or had a problem, I was going to my professors. I wasn't contacting my parents. I feel like back then you had to be more independent in some ways. What I worry about is that with technology and social media and things like that, young people are more isolated. I feel like that was easier for me in in the 90s.
BC: Going into college, yes, I feel scared to be independent, but I know that I'm ready for it because at college, you get to be around people who are going to be doing the same thing as you do. And so, it's great because you get to experience all of this, not just by yourself.
RC: True. So, what do you feel least prepared for?
BC: Well, right now I don't know what college I'm going to. The two colleges I've lined up right now: One's a private art school, and one of them I am so familiar with and used to. And so, it's kind of two different answers. If I do end up moving to Detroit, I have a lot of independence.
RC: Right.
BC: If I go to Central, I can ease into that, which I think is a kind of good option.
RC: So, my advice to you going out into the world, I think would be to stick with what you want. People will talk about. "Ohh this is my passion." OK? It's your passion and that's great. But is your passion something that you just enjoy doing or is your passion something that you want to share with others? Share with the world? The great thing is you've allowed yourself to have so many different experiences in your life...
RC: So, the good thing for you is use those past experiences to help you as you go forward. Independence is great, but you don't have to be isolated.
BC: Yeah. I just want to like thank you, because we both have definitely been through our hardships together and separately. And you've always been there for me. Even if you were upset and down and— Thank you for being so strong, because if you weren't as strong as you were right now, I wouldn't be who I am at all knowing that you care for me so much.
RC: Thank you.
BC: Yes.
RC: Well, I wanna thank you, Bea, for first of all.... for being here... because there were times, I wasn't sure how I would do as a Mom. And seeing the young adult that you've turned into, you've experienced some trauma and some hardship in your life. When it comes down to it, if it meant that you were going to be any less of the person that you are now, then I'm glad that we made the choices that we did. You are a beautiful, incredible, amazing person and I feel very fortunate to be your Mom.
RB: And this story was produced by WCMU's Tina Sawyer.
