This past spring the Child and Youth Program of the Army National Guard of the southeast states reached out to the Well-Trained Mind Academy looking for training for their youth leaders. As part of their support to the children of men and women serving in the National Guard, the guard forms a youth leadership cohort to prepare high school students for leadership and service in civilian and military life. Through the good word of fellow homeschoolers, the content and reputation of the Academy’s Adulting course was the perfect fit. Long-time Academy instructor and Social Sciences Department Chair Mattias Caro flew down to Florida to talk to these intrepid young leaders about the realities of adulthood. 

Trying to compress two-semesters worth of Adulting material was a challenge! Mr. Caro knew that his students that morning needed three key takeaways:

1. How to manage personal finances, especially with the big life decisions like college looming.
2. What are the key steps needed to develop a habit of goal-planning and continual self-improvement.
3. Why skill development in a context of hard work and personal calling always wins out, even in a changing world.  

As Mr. Caro mingled with the students, fresh on the shock of what real world experiences look like, he was delighted. These young men and women from all over the southeast were engaged, curious, and grounded. For example, the only way to follow the following statement was with a snack break:  “That’s right, you could be paying over $1,000.00 per month for college for the next fifteen years. That’s going to have a huge impact on the opportunities and dreams you want to pursue!”

These students experienced many of the same lessons and in-class exercises that Mr. Caro regularly teaches in his own class. They met Nora, the 23-year-old recent college graduate out on her own for the first time trying to live within her salary and means. Then the students heard about James Clear and his award-winning Atomic Habits approach to habit development. Finally, they went through a real-world exercise of mock interviews to learn how employers hire to solve problems. 

The experience was very special for Mr. Caro. He says:

You teach homeschoolers online for ten years. You know they’re the best kids. But there’s always this nagging feeling, this insecurity or even imposter syndrome that creeps in. Am I as good as a real teacher at a bricks and mortar school? Do my students and my content stack up? In that moment, I knew with these kids near the everglades of Florida, that it was like meeting my own students. It was an awesome experience.

I know my WTMA students are engaged and excited. But to see the smiles, the wheels turning inside their heads…even the real apprehension at the big decisions of life. That was so affirming of the good work we do at the Academy. My students, in person or online, are truly not alone. There are so many young people who are ready to ignore the noise and commit themselves to a good, and yes, hard-working life.

The experience was unique. From traveling down to Jacksonville after a long-day of teaching online to sleeping in a cabin with bunks all to himself, Mr. Caro went off an adventure. It was yet another extension of WTMA’s motto: Classical Foundations. Time-Tested methods. Today’s Technology. He hopes to see your student join in this great conversation soon. 

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