Clark Kent is my hero.
You probably believe that I am referring to his more popular alter ego, but I’m not. The mild-mannered reporter who grew up on the farm in Smallville is my favorite hero. And I honestly believe that people, and especially students applying to college, would have a more positive self-image if they would be of similar opinion.
When I was growing up, Superman was my favorite fictional character. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of times when my mother would pin a towel around my neck and allow me to zip around the house pretending to be the Man of Steel. Who wouldn’t want to be faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and leap tall buildings with a single bound? Flying, heat vision, X-ray vision, freeze breath, and super speed – Superman had it all. And whenever Metropolis found itself in peril or when Lois was captured by the big bads…again, he used these powers to rush in and turn things around. It might look dark at points during the episode or movie, but assuredly, with minutes to spare, Superman was going to save the day. And I wanted to be just like him.
What I didn’t realize at the time was that my appreciation for Superman had leaked into my everyday thinking. There were experiences that I missed in college because I wanted to make sure that my performance in my classes was pristine. There were years that I didn’t take one vacation day because I wanted to prove that I could be relied upon to a fault. And I am not alone in being perpetually performative. As I work with students to develop their college applications, I hear the same mindset in their questions. Can I take European History or would colleges prefer that I take something else? I don’t enjoy playing basketball anymore, but am I ruining my chances if I try volleyball? Will another 20 points on my SAT get me into the college of my dreams?
That’s why, as I have gotten older, I have turned my attention to Clark Kent.
Superman is held in high esteem because of his supernatural abilities, but Clark is the personality behind the tights. The mental health of students across the United States is in the worst shape that we have seen in decades, and I believe that it is largely because we have taught them to prioritize performance over personhood. Students would experience much less pressure on the journey to college if we taught them that you don’t have to always be super to have value. Clark Kent is a salt-of-the-earth man who wasn’t too good to listen to his parents, attend and do well in school, and work hard on the farm. He becomes a reporter at the Daily Planet in Metropolis where he will be known for the integrity that he shows in the discharge of his duties. He takes time to spend with his friends, checks in to make sure that his parents are well, and eventually will be a great husband to Lois Lane.
May I also point out that there are challenges to being super all the time? Superman draws his power from the light of the yellow sun and, often, we too feel that we must be in the spotlight to be powerful. Superman is weakened by pieces of rock called Kryptonite, which are fragmented remains of his former home world. Those pieces of green rock are meaningless to other people, but incredibly painful, even deadly, for him. I can’t tell you how many students I have worked with over the years that suffer greatly over the shattered pieces of their home lives, even though the events that have injured them may be insignificant to other people.
Please don’t get me wrong. There are things that students must do to successfully apply to college. There is no substitute for working hard for good grades, attending school each day, participating in extracurricular activities, and doing community service. Taking AP classes, being the captain of the team, and otherwise demonstrating excellence are essential. The flaw is in teaching that these are the only things that matter. It is also important to show integrity, take time for your friends, value your parents, and develop your character. Superman may represent what you do, but Clark is who you are.
Without his alter ego, Superman couldn’t even walk down the street in peace. Superman saves the world, but Clark saves Superman. And as I have learned how to find quiet moments of repose, I have discovered that I am a better college counselor, mentor, friend, and son when I have balance between the two personas.
I hope that you discover the same. Each one of us has superpowers that make us uniquely necessary as a part of the beautiful mosaic that makes our society function. When you discover yours, you can save lives and change the world for good. But may you never lose sight of the fact that your true value – your highest and best self – is greater than what you do. It is in the person that you are and the one that you are still becoming.
Put the glasses back on, Superman. The world needs Clark too.
