This spring our first born graduates from high school. It’s a day I’ve looked forward to since she was born. Mind you the reality of it didn’t hit home until about a year ago when we started looking at her university choices.

While graduation day is still about a month away and there are still tests and projects to complete before she’s actually a bona fide graduate, the college application system has had us preoccupied with forms, incentives and the “romance” of college life for about a year.

In fact, some of these schools do such a fantastic job of promoting their programs that you might find yourself changing your original plans.

We were initially looking at a really good state university (read: affordable!) for our daughter but after looking at some smaller 4-year degree schools that specialize in her area of study, we started to think a little differently.

And then we had the college tour. We had already been on a few campus tours of schools we had been discussing for a few years. But our final campus tour last fall was a little different. To begin with the school’s tuition was way beyond our budget plan.

But…that final tour ended up being an eye opening experience for one person in our family, perhaps the most important person. Our daughter - the intended student.

After the tour, it was like she woke up from being casually interested in college life to being absolutely inspired about the thought of spending 4 years so deeply immersed in her chosen field of study.

It wasn’t the look of the campus or the residence or anything superficial that got her hooked. It was the content of the programs, the professors who spoke during the visit, the admission counselor who answered her specific questions and most importantly the current students who actually lead the campus tour and shared their perspectives and experiences.

As much as I thought we already had our minds made up regarding our choices,we had to agree with her. That final college had the substantive curriculum and study environment that would in all likelihood best meet the particular strengths and interests of our daughter.

So here we are today re-jigging our lives to make this college choice work.

I often talk about work being an extension of my interests and passions in life and I continue to maintain that view point. But one truism about work that I think resonates with most people is that work is most satisfying when the fruit of our hard labor helps to enhance the lives of the people we love most.