Graduation

Graduation signals the completion of a major accomplishment in anyone's life; whether it's Preschool or Kindergarten Graduation, High School or College Graduation. It is a benchmark, a notch on the belt, a guidepost for that individual; over the last 12 days I have witnessed a couple of different graduation ceremonies and they all leave a mark on those present. As someone who works in education, graduation is obviously an important achievement to me, but it is a milestone for anyone and something that should be celebrated.

My two weeks of graduations started with an historic moment for me; I was fortunate enough to land a "job" at Lake Area Technical Institute's Spring Graduation ceremony. We may have had to wait an extra hour but being able to listen to President Obama speak was a once in a lifetime experience. He spoke of the importance of the students who were improving their lives by graduating; he mentioned specific students and what they had planned to make a difference after graduating. He had his own agenda for speaking at LATI or what he called a "Community College" and what he hopes to provide everyone with an opportunity to attend a post secondary school. An admirable and fantastic idea that will hopefully get some traction from the federal level. I also witnessed former students march across that stage and it made me reflect on how far they have grown and how things change for everyone. The moment held more meaning for me seeing them pursuing their goals and improving their chances for life-long success. I wish all of them the best of luck and thanks again to President Obama for speaking to those deserving graduates.

My second significant graduation (WHS Graduation) was also "historic" for me, as it was my first one as Superintendent. We all know Warner prepares kids well for what lays ahead of them. Whether it's college, Vo-tech, or career; the education and experiences the students have obtained here get them ready for life after Warner High School. We also know, each individual will face their own unique and trying challenges as they leap into their next stage in life. Learning from those challenges and making them worthwhile is significant part of growing-up; we need to encourage students to recognize those events for what they are worth and make sure they understand that even failures can be beneficial part of long-term success.

Graduations are milestones for everyone; family, friends, peers all benefit from individuals reaching these accomplishments. Celebrate them, applaud them, cheer them, make sure they know how much it means and how proud you are of them, no matter when it happens. We all have milestones and challenges; they make us who we are and how we respond to them reflects as much about who we are as anything else. We all graduate several times; make sure you take some time to understand the significance of each and every one. And appreciate the challenges we faced along the way and the people who helped us.

To all of you who have graduated over the last month--Congratulations, may you have many more.
To all of you who helped--Congratulations, without you it may not have been possible.