For parents of high school juniors & seniors
Your teen doesn’t need another lecture about the future. They need a plan.
A 4-week, 1-on-1 mentoring sprint that helps high school students compare real options, choose a direction, and build a practical 6-month plan for life after graduation.
Led by Teague Bode — 25 years U.S. Army EOD · Retired Command Sergeant Major · High school teacher & coach
The stuck conversation
Capable kid. Same answer: “I don’t know.”
If you’re the parent of a junior or senior, you’ve probably had the conversation. You ask about life after graduation, and you get a shrug. Or a fight. Or a quick “I’m figuring it out” that ends the discussion before it starts. Meanwhile, the calendar keeps moving.
The shrug
“What do you want to do after high school?” has become the fastest way to end a conversation in your house.
The pressure spiral
Every talk about the future turns into stress — for them and for you — so everyone quietly stops bringing it up.
The default drift
Without a real plan, teens drift toward whatever’s nearest — not what actually fits them.
The Pathfinder Sprint
Four weeks. One-on-one. A real plan at the end.
The Pathfinder Sprint is a structured, 4-week mentorship — your teen and me, working through a process that ends with a plan they built and believe in.
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Week 1
Strengths & honest assessment
What your teen is actually good at, what they care about, and where they stand today — no judgment, no canned personality quiz.
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Week 2
Compare four real paths
College, trades, military/service, and work/entrepreneurship — costs, timelines, daily reality, and honest trade-offs for each.
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Week 3
Choose a path — and a backup
Your teen picks a primary direction and a realistic backup, then we map the first six months of concrete steps.
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Week 4
Your teen presents the plan
Not me — them. Your teen walks you through their Pathfinder Plan: the choice, the why, and what happens next.
What comes out of it: the Pathfinder Plan
A one-page plan your teen can put on the refrigerator — strengths, chosen path, backup path, and six months of action steps with real dates. Not a vision board. A to-do list with a direction.
- Strengths, in their own words
- Primary path — chosen by them
- Backup path, thought through
- 6-month action steps with dates
How it works
Three steps from “I don’t know” to a plan
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Book a free 20-minute parent call
We talk about your teen, you ask anything, and we both decide if this is a fit. No charge, no obligation.
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Your teen runs the 4-week sprint
Four weekly 1-on-1 sessions — in person in Northwest Florida or virtually — plus short between-session assignments.
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Plan night
Your teen presents their Pathfinder Plan to you. You leave with a direction, a backup, and dates on the calendar.
The result
What your teen gets
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Clearer direction
A chosen path that fits who they actually are — not who the internet says they should be.
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Real options beyond college-by-default
An honest look at four legitimate routes to a good life, with the trade-offs on the table.
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A 6-month action plan
Specific next steps with dates — applications, certifications, visits, conversations, savings targets.
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Confidence to talk about what’s next
When grandma asks at Thanksgiving, your teen has an answer they’re not embarrassed by.
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Ownership of the plan
They built it, they chose it, they presented it. That’s why they’ll actually follow it.
- 25 years U.S. Army
- Explosive Ordnance Disposal
- Command Sergeant Major (Ret.)
- HS Geometry teacher
- Volleyball coach
Who’s guiding this
About Teague
I’m Teague Bode. I spent 25 years in the U.S. Army in Explosive Ordnance Disposal, retiring as a Command Sergeant Major. I spent my career helping young adults grow into responsibility, make difficult decisions, and find direction under pressure.
Today, I teach high school Geometry and coach volleyball, working with teenagers every day. I know college is not the only road to a good life, and I help students compare real options so they can take a next step that actually fits.
Based in Northwest Florida. Serving families in Santa Rosa, Escambia, and Okaloosa counties, with virtual options available.
An honest fit check
Who this is for — and who it isn’t
A strong fit
- Parents of high school juniors and seniors
- Students who are capable but unsure
- Families who want practical options on the table
- Teens willing to have honest conversations
Not the right tool
- Students who need clinical counseling — that deserves a licensed professional
- Families looking for guaranteed admissions or job placement
- Parents who want someone to force a plan onto their teen
Questions parents ask
FAQ
Is this college counseling?
No — it’s bigger than that. College counseling starts from “which college?” The Pathfinder Sprint starts from “which path?” College is one of four options we examine honestly, alongside trades, service, and work/entrepreneurship. If college wins, great — your teen will know why it won.
What if my teen has no idea what they want?
That’s exactly who this is built for. We don’t start with “what do you want to do?” — that question is why the conversation is stuck. We start with strengths and honest assessment, and direction comes out of the process. “I don’t know” is the entry ticket, not a disqualifier.
Do parents attend every session?
No — and that’s by design. You’re part of the kickoff and you’re the audience for the final plan presentation in Week 4. The sessions in between are your teen’s working time, because a plan only sticks when it’s genuinely theirs. You’ll never be in the dark about what we’re covering.
Is military service required or pushed?
No. I spent 25 years in uniform, which means I can speak honestly about service — including who it fits and who it doesn’t. It’s one of four paths we compare, with the same scrutiny as the other three. Nothing is pushed. The teen chooses.
Can this be done virtually?
Yes. For families in Santa Rosa, Escambia, and Okaloosa counties, your teen and I can sit down face to face. For everyone else, the sprint runs fully remote — and it’s still the same one-on-one conversation, the same honest work, and the same plan night with your family at the end. Either way, your teen gets a mentor, not a webinar.
What happens after the 4 weeks?
Your teen finishes with their Pathfinder Plan in hand — chosen path, backup path, and six months of dated action steps. The next moves belong to them, and the plan makes those moves concrete. If a check-in down the road would help, we can talk about that on the parent call.
How much does it cost?
The full 4-week sprint is $500 — an introductory price while the program is new. That includes four 1-on-1 sessions, the between-session work, the one-page Pathfinder Plan, and the final parent presentation. The 20-minute parent call comes first and is free, so you can check the fit before spending a dollar.
Graduation is coming. The plan doesn’t have to stay “I don’t know.”
Book a free 20-minute parent callNo pressure. If it’s not a fit, I’ll tell you.