Nudged out of the nest

Danette Goulet

NEWPORT BEACH -- As 18-year-old Cameron Sinclair prepares to graduate and

leave the nest, his mother is helping to push him out to gain his wings.

“He needs to live on his own -- make his own decisions,” said Robin

Sinclair. “He’ll be good at it.”

Cameron Sinclair is one of the Class of 2000 students at Newport Harbor

High School. The Newport-Mesa community has been watching him and others

grow up for nearly four years.

He is not certain if he will attend Orange Coast College or Mammoth

College in the fall. One thing he is certain of is that he will move out

this summer.

Missing from this familiar scene is the traditional clinging mother who

wants to keep her child at home. The Sinclairs laugh as they both

describe the anticipation of Cameron Sinclair’s departure.

“They’ve been counting the days for years until I leave,” he said.

“It’s true,” his mother replied. “He wants my job. He wants to run the

house and that’s my job. It’s time for him to go -- there’s too many

cooks in the kitchen.”

Robin Sinclair describes her son in one word -- controlling.

“He wants to know everything that’s going on with everyone -- everything

is his business,” she said. “He argues about everything. He always has to

be right and he won’t ever apologize or admit when he’s wrong. The only

good thing about him is he won’t hold a grudge. He’s always in a good

mood -- but he’s always right.”

Robin Sinclair’s voice is laced with amusement throughout the seemingly

brutal description of her son’s character.

It seems like just yesterday that Cameron Sinclair was in preschool, she

said. Of her four boys, he has always been the biggest challenge.

“He’s been a really a good kid, but he’s very obstinate,” she said. “You

can’t insult him. I’m sure someday we’ll be close because I was the same

way growing up.”

As she predicted, Cameron Sinclair was totally unaffected by his mother’s

critique. Like nearly every other high school senior, Cameron Sinclair is

excited to graduate and be out having fun with his buddies.

With the countdown to graduation underway, Cameron Sinclair is spending

his free time surfing, free-boarding (riding on a surfboard behind a

speedboat) and jet-skiing with friends.

He has no plans to stress himself out by deciding where he will attend

school next year until summertime.

His mother, who is the college and career advisor for Newport Harbor

High, is pleased with his future plans and hopes he chooses Mammoth.

“I think it’s good for him,” she said. “He’s always loved the mountains

and I think it will be good for him to experience a whole new

environment. He’s always wanted to be on his own and he isn’t sure what

he wants to do. So I think a junior college is great for him.”