When my kids were little, never once did they get one of those “Career Days” where parents show up and explain their jobs. And I didn’t have one in school either—unless, of course, I faked sick that day (which, honestly, is likely). But why do TV families always have a Career Day, and we don’t? Even Talladega Nights got one with Reese Bobby causing chaos. And yet, not one Career Day moment in my life.

Fast forward to two weeks ago: I reached out to my friend Becky, a teacher at Mandarin High (GO MUSTANGS!), about a scholarship from Ponte Vedra Focus and The Volen Group. Becky not only shared the news, but also roped me into speaking to her juniors and seniors about my real estate career. Me? Public speaking with teenagers? No speakie inglés! I’d rather marathon The Joker: Folie à Deux—and if you haven’t seen it, trust me, it’s rough! But Becky can be convincing, so back to high school I went, hoping to avoid any Reese Bobby-level offenses. (I’m from NY, so no promises.)

Becky teaches Office Ed, covering Accounting, Management, and HR. There was something about T-Accounts in her class description too. Back in the ’80s, we didn’t have classes like that—we had “home economics,” which included neither home nor economics, just cooking and sewing. And shorthand, which helped if you needed to pass secret notes to friends. I had to Google “T-account” for this article, confirming Office Ed was sorely missing in the ’80s. Or maybe I am just an idiot.

The morning of Career Day, I secretly hoped to wake up with an excuse to stay home. But no—perfectly healthy. Seriously, God? You can’t answer a girl’s prayer just this one time? And not only did I have to go, but I had to get up early because high school starts at the crack of dawn. Thanks to menopause brain, I’d forgotten this critical fact. So I put on my big girl pants, hit the road, and hoped for the best.

I ended up sharing my winding path from apartment management to property management to real estate and explained that real estate has so much more to offer than sales. I wanted them to see that there’s a role for everyone, even the non-sales types like me.

Much to my surprise, these kids were wide awake and asked shockingly smart questions (2 questions nearly stumped me). And when I brought up the $1,500 Ponte Vedra Focus Blog Scholarship, their ears really perked up. Writing essays? Meh. Writing essays for $1,500? Absolutely.

What I thought would be a “let’s just survive this” event turned into an eye-opener. These students reminded me how energizing it is to share experiences. I even left feeling (gasp) inspired. They connected the dots between their own interests and future possibilities, and who knows? Maybe some of them will get into real estate—without doing sales.

Career Day turned out to be a memorable adventure, and I can’t wait to see their assignments. What about you? Ever had a Career Day experience? I’d love to hear your stories—especially if they’re Ricky Bobby-worthy!