To enable learners to seize the opportunities they will face in the future, school librarians must hold a clear vision of where they want their learners to go. Indeed, the primary responsibility of school librarians is to develop whole-child-focused library programs that engage and empower learners with the durable skills, attitudes, and self-confidence to pursue their own paths. The whole-child focus represents a change for some librarians, many of whose graduate education and professional development experiences have centered on reading motivation and/or teaching academic information skills. This vision of empowered learners has led educators and school districts across the country to develop models of education that include the teaching of "durable skills" -- those academic, social, emotional, and cultural skills that enable learners to succeed beyond school. As educators beyond a single content-based classroom, librarians are in a prime position to build a whole-child library program where durable skills are embedded as essential standards for attainment that complement and support existing learner goals. Librarians can introduce opportunities through inquiry to inspire learners to consider what makes them curious and foster an environment where learners can discover how their unique viewpoints fit into the world. A clear vision (portrait) of an engaged and empowered learner inspires librarians to teach and nurture whole-child attributes: independent learning, a strong self-identity, cultural responsiveness, social and emotional health, voice and agency, and a growth mindset. By setting benchmark portraits at grades 2, 5, 8, and 12, librarians can establish a framework for teaching so that learners make continuous progress across the full realm of skills. When librarians share the benchmark portraits with classroom teachers, there is a shared understanding of the librarian's role in developing a range of durable learning skills and a shared expectation for what students should be able to do. As the author states, we must empower learners to take charge of their own learning and become learners for life.