As Suffolk’s recent high school graduates now begin turning their eyes on their next goals, they have received a timely example and advice from one who stood in their shoes just a few short years ago.

Nicole Lockhart, a 2008 graduate of Nansemond River High School, spent some time recently talking to staff writer Matthew Ward following some exciting developments in a very young career in acting, modeling and writing.

After her high school graduation, Lockhart headed to Elon University, where she majored in acting in the school’s fine arts program. From North Carolina, she headed north to the Big Apple, that promised land of opportunity for so many people pursuing careers in the performing arts. With a studio apartment five blocks from Central Park and a recent spot in a series of print and television advertisements, Lockhart has grabbed onto her dream and refuses to let go.

“Create a plan and go do it,” she counsels those who are now considering where their own dreams might take them and whether they’re willing to follow those dreams wherever they might lead.

In the case of performing arts, at least, Lockhart is sure: “If you trust yourself and trust your work, you can absolutely make a living at this.”

There’s something to be said for that advice as it pertains to just about any post-high school endeavor. When confidence is combined with hard work and sprinkled with a bit of good timing, just about anything is possible.