Six months ago, Mikey joined me on Randy Unscripted to talk about his senior year, his growing passion for music, and his plans after high school. Now, just days after walking across the graduation stage, he’s back to reflect on what has changed, what surprised him, and what comes next. We discuss the friendships he built through marching band and jazz band, the memories he’ll carry with him, and the reality of saying goodbye to a chapter of life that shaped him in unexpected ways.

We also talk about one of the biggest changes since our last conversation: a shift in career goals. What started as a plan to pursue machining has evolved into a new path toward mechanical engineering at Marshall University. Mikey shares what inspired the change, what excites him about the future, and the challenges he knows are waiting ahead as he prepares for college and adulthood.

Most importantly, this episode is a father-and-son conversation about growth, uncertainty, and moving forward. From lessons learned in high school to hopes for the future, we explore what it means to stand at the crossroads between who you’ve been and who you’re becoming. Whether you’re a recent graduate, a parent watching your child take the next step, or someone navigating change in your own life, this conversation offers a reminder that the future may be uncertain—but that’s often where the best stories begin.

Music by Yurii Semchyshyn from Pixabay

Mikey Black: What goals I've achieved.

None: Randy Black. Randy Black. Randy Black. Randy Black. Randy Black. Randy Black.

None: Randy Black.

None: Randy Black. He's a troublemaker.

Randy Black: Welcome back to Randy Unscripted. I'm Randy Black, and this is the podcast where

Randy Black: I just kind of talk about whatever happens to come across my brain whenever

Randy Black: it just happens to come across it.

Randy Black: In today's episode, I brought back my favorite podcast guest of all time.

Randy Black: He was with us six months ago, and he's the only guest that's ever been on this show.

Randy Black: My son, Mikey. Mikey, welcome back to Randy Unscripted.

Mikey Black: Hi, yeah. It was great to be back.

Randy Black: You sound so thrilled.

Randy Black: so six months ago we sat

Randy Black: here in this room and we talked about things for

Randy Black: your senior year and what was going on we talked about that you had joined the

Randy Black: band and music had become a big important thing in your life we talked about

Randy Black: what you were planning to do after graduation what you were going to do next

Randy Black: year with school so we're six months out from that And now we've got to talk about,

Randy Black: has anything changed? So let's start right here.

Randy Black: Today is June 5th, 2026.

Randy Black: And six days ago, you walked across the stage.

Mikey Black: Yeah, I did.

Randy Black: And you graduated from high school.

Mikey Black: Yeah.

Randy Black: How did graduation feel compared to what you expected?

Mikey Black: I mean, it was...

Mikey Black: It was kind of sad, like, seeing some of the band kids there that I've become

Mikey Black: close to over the year. Right.

Mikey Black: I mean, saying goodbye to them because that's, I mean, that was pretty much

Mikey Black: the last time I'm going to see them for a while.

Mikey Black: I mean, other than that, I was happy I finally finished.

Randy Black: So was there a moment where it finally hit you? Holy crap, high school's over.

Mikey Black: It was when I was walking across the stage accepting my diploma. Yeah. Yeah.

Randy Black: I know that feeling. I felt the same way. I was excited. I was scared.

Randy Black: I had plans for the future.

Randy Black: Didn't know what was going to happen. So senior year's over.

Randy Black: You're out of high school.

Randy Black: What was your favorite memory from this past year, from your senior year?

Mikey Black: The marching band competitions, easily. Just being able to go to all these different schools.

Mikey Black: I mean, going up to Ohio State for that competition.

Mikey Black: That was easily my favorite. Those were my favorite moments throughout the whole year.

Randy Black: So would you say it's something that you're genuinely going to miss?

Mikey Black: Oh, yeah, definitely.

Randy Black: And what specifically is it about it that it's going to be what you miss?

Mikey Black: The friends I've made. I mean, just all the friends through band I've made this

Mikey Black: year. I mean, that's the main thing I'm going to miss the most. Yeah.

Randy Black: Was there anything from this year that you're just glad to leave behind and walk away from?

Mikey Black: Classes i had

Randy Black: Okay okay you don't don't don't don't have to be specific just in case somebody

Randy Black: might happen to hear this yeah um that you might have had as a teacher or something

Randy Black: yeah but uh you know senior year is one of those where you have to take english you have to take math,

Randy Black: you have to take social studies in this case civics those are the required classes

Randy Black: but other than that it's kind of wide open other than what you might classes

Randy Black: and credits you might need to graduate.

Randy Black: Right. So, you know, it's one of those years where you're like,

Randy Black: well, I know I got to have this, but at the same time you're thinking,

Randy Black: well, what else could I have?

Randy Black: So like, I know that it got worked out for you to take one of the hardest classes

Randy Black: it is to get into at Spring Valley High School, just because it worked out into your schedule.

Randy Black: And that was that you got to spend time driving around in driver's ed. Yeah.

Randy Black: I like that because you've got a certificate for it and I can get a discount on insurance.

Randy Black: So that makes it, that makes it all the better for not just you, but for me.

Randy Black: Um, so senior year's over, um, back in November, when we sat down here and recorded

Randy Black: and talked, you had a pretty clear plan of what it was you wanted to do,

Randy Black: what the goal was when you finished high school.

Randy Black: Is that still the plan?

Mikey Black: I mean, I think back in November, I said I wanted to, that was when I was thinking of doing machining.

Mikey Black: Well, obviously, you know, I've changed my mind. I've decided going to mechanical engineering.

Randy Black: Cost of me money.

Mikey Black: Well, we don't know. I may be able to get some scholarship money.

Randy Black: That's true. That's true. You did, you know, we do have that change.

Randy Black: We're shifting from going to the community and technical college program to

Randy Black: get that machinist certification, which would have only taken 18 months.

Randy Black: You'd have been out in the workforce to shift into Marshall University,

Randy Black: my alma mater, where I graduated from, where your mom graduated from,

Randy Black: your uncle, my brother, your stepmom. You know, we all went to Marshall.

Randy Black: So you're going there. But in the process of getting to that,

Randy Black: you know, we also found that you earned something pretty good in the state of

Randy Black: West Virginia. What was that?

Mikey Black: Oh, the Promise Scholarship.

Randy Black: The Promise Scholarship. So the Promise Scholarship in West Virginia,

Randy Black: for anybody who's listening who doesn't know, pays about $5,500 a year toward

Randy Black: college tuition in the state of West Virginia.

Randy Black: You have to go to a public university in the state of West Virginia.

Randy Black: There are some other ways you can go to other schools and stuff,

Randy Black: like if the program's not offered somewhere and all this.

Randy Black: But so that roughs out to about $2,750 a semester that goes towards your tuition,

Randy Black: which helps because Marshall's like between $5 and $5,500 a semester.

Randy Black: So that helps a little bit on the tuition.

Randy Black: So earning that, it's all merit-based. So you had to get certain scores on the SAT, the ACT.

Randy Black: In this case, it was the SAT for you. And you had that awesome chance.

Randy Black: And it's helping out. It's going to make things a little better for us.

Randy Black: That machinist program would have been paid for by the state.

Randy Black: So, you know, could have saved me some more money, but, you know, it's okay.

Randy Black: Have, you know, with, with that and with everything, have there been any new

Randy Black: kind of opportunities that have kind of poked their head out with this, with this change?

Randy Black: Have you, have you seen anything new come along that might, might be beneficial

Randy Black: or helpful or, or help you on your way toward this goal of getting your degree in engineering?

Mikey Black: Uh, I don't know. I mean, not that's been like very clearly evident to me.

Randy Black: Okay. So what is it about this shift, this change, going into the engineering?

Randy Black: What is it about that that excites you the most?

Mikey Black: I mean, it was the experience I had doing the Project Lead the Way program at Spring Valley.

Mikey Black: It was just all the vast different parts of engineering that we explored throughout that program.

Mikey Black: And just working with the machine side of it was just what I liked,

Mikey Black: and I wanted to continue with that.

Randy Black: Okay, so that's why you chose, which area of engineering is your area of concentration?

Mikey Black: Mechanical.

Randy Black: Mechanical, okay. So that would be like, you would be like, designing what?

Mikey Black: Engines, I mean, it can be engines, just...

Randy Black: Could it be just like anything that would have to be put together in some way?

Mikey Black: Pretty much, yeah.

Randy Black: So like if they needed to make, say, you know, they needed a replacement gear for some type of device,

Randy Black: like say it's a lifting device, something that, you know, you have a hand crank

Randy Black: to lift something and the gears they've used in the past are failing.

Randy Black: Would that be something you might do is design new gears for that?

Mikey Black: Oh, yeah. Okay.

Randy Black: So, is there anything about this new path, this new future, that feels uncertain?

Mikey Black: How long it's going to take me. I mean, usually it's four years,

Mikey Black: but my math SAT score wasn't where it needed to be to fully get into the program at Marshall.

Mikey Black: So, I mean, I don't know how long it's, if it's going to take five years.

Randy Black: There's some classes you'll have to take that are not part of the program structure.

Randy Black: You'll have to pick them up and take them and go that route.

Randy Black: But, you know, if it adds some time, that's okay. At least we're on the path. That's the key thing.

Randy Black: So in the last six months, since we sat here in November, is there anything

Randy Black: that you've learned about yourself?

Mikey Black: My love for music. I mean, with how much I got into the band this year,

Mikey Black: I've, I mean, relearned the alto sax. I mean, I fully picked it back up.

Mikey Black: I do like, do want to continue playing it. I mean, I'm still going to continue playing guitar.

Randy Black: Right. So that kind of leads into some stuff on my notes here.

Randy Black: The last time we talked, we talked about how music was such a big thing.

Randy Black: And you just said that hasn't changed. It's still there. It's still prevalent.

Randy Black: You're still playing guitar.

Randy Black: But, you know, what did being in the band, both the marching band,

Randy Black: the jazz band, the concert band, what did it teach you that extends outside of music?

Mikey Black: Discipline.

Randy Black: Discipline. Okay. Explain that.

Mikey Black: I mean, you got the discipline for you practicing.

Mikey Black: You got to have a good practice routine so you can play the music that we were playing. Okay.

Mikey Black: And just being able to progress and get better over the year.

Mikey Black: Yeah. I mean, that's the big thing with it.

Mikey Black: And a lot of the times, it's a lot of patience.

Randy Black: Well, for me, when I was back in the marching band, back in the day,

Randy Black: because I'm old now. not that old I'm 45 right now um,

Randy Black: For me, it was teamwork that I got most out of, out of that.

Randy Black: Cause you're performing together

Randy Black: as a group and you all have to be in sync. You have to be together.

Randy Black: You know, if one person in the marching drill turns and goes the wrong way, is it noticeable?

Mikey Black: Oh yeah.

Randy Black: Oh heck yeah. And if somebody plays a wrong note and it's like,

Randy Black: you know, blatantly out of key or the wrong, you know, you can hear that a lot of times.

Randy Black: So you've got to be able to, to, to handle that together. Like for me,

Randy Black: I was in the percussion section.

Randy Black: So for us, we had to be exact. We had to work together as a unit to make sure

Randy Black: those things were in sync and working correctly.

Randy Black: And, you know, when I look at life in general, aren't there so many places where

Randy Black: you have to be part of a team?

Mikey Black: Yeah.

Randy Black: I mean, the workforce, you know, a marriage, your family situation,

Randy Black: all these different things. Like for me, for church, we have a team of people

Randy Black: at church who are trustees, and

Randy Black: we work together to maintain things at the church and take care of stuff.

Randy Black: So teamwork for me was what I learned in band.

Randy Black: Is there right now a song out there? It could be new.

Randy Black: It could be old. It could be something from band. It could be something from

Randy Black: anywhere. But is there a song right now that you think kind of represents this

Randy Black: season in your life, this time in your life?

Mikey Black: Oh, goodness. I don't, I mean, I would have one.

Randy Black: Yeah.

Mikey Black: I don't know. I would have to fully go through and try to find stuff.

Mikey Black: I can't think of one off the top of my head. Okay.

Randy Black: So you've only been out of high school for two weeks. Not very long.

Randy Black: What's been your biggest adjustment right now?

Mikey Black: Not having to wake up as early.

Randy Black: Okay. So you're, you're, are you still finding yourself waking up though?

Mikey Black: Yes.

Randy Black: Yeah. Your body's just used to it. You're attuned to it. So,

Randy Black: you know, that was, that's always a big adjustment.

Randy Black: Like when I'm I'll finish week after next for the year for a couple weeks,

Randy Black: and I still will probably get up at 6.30, 7 o'clock, just because it's the way

Randy Black: my body's tuned. It's what I do.

Randy Black: And for so many people, it's that way. Like, my dad, your grandpa,

Randy Black: every day is up without an alarm at 5 o'clock because he's done it for so long.

Randy Black: It's what he's always done.

Randy Black: So, we do have another event that's coming up pretty quick.

Randy Black: It is a week from tomorrow as we record this. And that day is what?

Mikey Black: My birthday.

Randy Black: Not just your birthday.

Mikey Black: My 18th birthday.

Randy Black: Your 18th birthday. So, you will officially be entering into adulthood. Yeah.

Randy Black: At this point in time, heading that way, is it what you've expected?

Randy Black: Or have things been different? Have things been, nothing's changed yet? You're not really sure.

Mikey Black: I mean, I'm not really sure. Not really.

Randy Black: Okay. Are there any responsibilities that might be coming up that you've already

Randy Black: started to think about that you didn't even consider a year ago?

Mikey Black: I'm blanking, sorry.

Randy Black: Let me think about what's the biggest change that's going to be.

Randy Black: Like you've gone to high school for four years and you had to be there on time

Randy Black: at a certain time every day.

Randy Black: Every day was the same. Is college going to be that way?

Mikey Black: No.

Randy Black: Oh, heck no. Not at all. You've got to be able to build your schedule and know

Randy Black: when you need to be in these places.

Randy Black: Yeah. So that's going to be a huge shift and a huge change.

Randy Black: I know you started lately making some money on the side mowing grass and stuff.

Randy Black: not something you've thought about. I mean, you've talked about doing it a year

Randy Black: ago, but didn't have the ability to go do it because you didn't have a vehicle

Randy Black: yet. You weren't driving yet.

Randy Black: So you've got that to think about with all this while you're going to school,

Randy Black: helping to still take care of these people who you've committed to help them out.

Randy Black: Yeah, that's a responsibility you got to think about and consider.

Randy Black: What is it about these next steps, be it college, be it entering adulthood?

Randy Black: What is it that you're most excited about?

Mikey Black: Just all the new experiences I'm going to have, the new friends I'm going to

Mikey Black: be making through, the classes I'm going to have at college.

Mikey Black: I mean, just all the new things that are going to happen. Okay.

Randy Black: What are you most nervous about?

Mikey Black: The classes.

Randy Black: Okay.

Mikey Black: I mean, engineering is a very math complex field.

Randy Black: A lot of calculus. Yep. A lot of, even in science, a lot of physics.

Randy Black: Yeah. You haven't taken a physics course.

Randy Black: You haven't taken a calculus course.

Randy Black: So those are things you're going to be learning as you go.

Randy Black: That'd scare the poop out of me.

Mikey Black: Yeah, it scares me a little bit.

Randy Black: So if you could go back in time.

Randy Black: Go back to freshman year high school, Mikey.

Randy Black: What's one piece of advice that you would give to yourself? What would that be?

Mikey Black: Study more. Study more in classes.

Randy Black: Okay. Sure. Any particular areas or just overall?

Mikey Black: Just overall. Okay. Mainly once, I mean, if with chemistry I took my junior

Mikey Black: year, definitely study more with that. That was a very complex class.

Mikey Black: At times I did struggle with it. I mean.

Randy Black: And he's a good, and he's a really good teacher.

Mikey Black: Yes, he is.

Randy Black: And he holds you guys to it. You have to earn it. You don't just walk in and get it.

Randy Black: Yeah. He's a good guy. I worked with him for just under a year when I was working out there at the school.

Randy Black: So, you know, it's, you go into his classroom and you have to do well because

Randy Black: you earn it by doing well.

Randy Black: So that's, you know, something I would also, you know, consider as well.

Randy Black: That kind of advice you give somebody. You got to buckle down at times.

Randy Black: So just some, some conversation starter questions here, just to make things

Randy Black: a little more interesting on different fronts, not necessarily the school front,

Randy Black: what's your future holds, what you're going to do, but what's something you've

Randy Black: changed your mind about recently?

Randy Black: Anything. You had a position, you held it, and now you've realized,

Randy Black: maybe I wasn't right on that.

Randy Black: And you've changed your views or you've changed your thinking on it.

Mikey Black: I don't know.

Randy Black: Is there a lesson that you've learned in the last year or so that surprised you?

Randy Black: Anything you've learned, you've been like, oh, man, I totally get it now.

Randy Black: I understand or I'm surprised oh man I didn't realize that.

Mikey Black: Not that I can think of to be honest geez you

Randy Black: Didn't do a whole lot this year did you.

Mikey Black: I mean other than band stuff I mean I really didn't I had I'm pretty much I

Mikey Black: had a very easy year with classes that's true so

Randy Black: Five years from now,

Randy Black: What kind of person do you want to become?

Mikey Black: Someone that is a lot more focused with work.

Mikey Black: Okay. That works great with others, can get tasks done efficiently,

Mikey Black: and maybe a little quickly than what the deadline is,

Mikey Black: but at a still good quality. Okay.

Randy Black: That's cool.

Mikey Black: Just be reliable. Yeah, be a reliable person.

Randy Black: Reliable, do your job well. be maybe even be respected yeah I could see that so now we're down to,

Randy Black: some rapid fire questions I'm gonna throw the question you're just gonna answer

Randy Black: it okay don't stop and think just answer it okay there are one two three four

Randy Black: five six seven eight of them so you ready yeah favorite class,

Randy Black: jazz band favorite teacher Mr.

Randy Black: Pullington your best high school memory Jazz band. Your worst school lunch.

Mikey Black: Buffalo chicken pizza.

Randy Black: The most useful thing you learned in school.

Mikey Black: Uh, uh, uh, note-taking.

Randy Black: The least useful thing you learned in school.

Mikey Black: Uh, um,

Mikey Black: English.

Randy Black: Okay.

Mikey Black: I don't know.

Randy Black: One word to describe your senior year.

Mikey Black: Easy.

Randy Black: One word to describe the future.

Mikey Black: Um unexpected like kind of

Mikey Black: Uh uncertain

Randy Black: uncertain.

Mikey Black: That's what it is yeah

Randy Black: So let's say a year from now we sit down and we record another episode together

Randy Black: like this what do you hope you'll

Randy Black: be able to tell anybody who's listening about where life has taken you.

Mikey Black: Just the experiences.

Randy Black: Okay.

Mikey Black: What I've improved on as a person. Okay. What goals I've achieved.

Mikey Black: I mean, just, I mean, that's pretty much.

Randy Black: Maybe just share the progress.

Mikey Black: Yeah, sharing my progress.

Randy Black: Awesome. So, Mikey, thank you. You know, I love getting you to record with me.

Randy Black: I've tried to get you to do a podcast. You don't really want to do it.

Randy Black: You've got a roadcaster yourself at home. We could record remotely at any time

Randy Black: when you're not here at my house.

Randy Black: But thank you. I appreciate it.

Randy Black: Just, you know, I've told you this and I'll state it here. I'm so proud of you.

Randy Black: I'm so excited for what the future holds.

Randy Black: Doesn't mean I don't worry about you, but watching you walk across that stage

Randy Black: and graduate high school, watching

Randy Black: you now moving into adulthood since you'll be 18 in just a few days.

Randy Black: And I'm just, I'm proud to be your dad.

Randy Black: And I know I don't say it enough, but I am. And I love you, buddy.

Mikey Black: I love you too.

Randy Black: So thank you to everybody who's listening.

Randy Black: If you want to share your own graduation memories or advice you might have for

Randy Black: Mikey on our website, randyunscripted.com.

Randy Black: the comment section on this episode is open for, I think they're set to stay

Randy Black: open for 28 days after the show comes out. Feel free to go there.

Randy Black: I'll make sure that he has a link to it. So if there's anything there,

Randy Black: I'll send it over so he can take a look at it and see it.

Randy Black: But I just, you know, I'm so thankful for him and I'm so thankful for all of you who listen.

Randy Black: And remember that this is Randy Unscripted. I'm Randy Black.

Randy Black: This show is all about real talk, real life, and it is 100% unscripted.