Editorial: Graduation Season
Graduation season is winding down in the metro. Over the past couple of weeks, students have walked across college stages and now high school stages, marking the end of one phase of life and the beginning of another.
For college students, this was perhaps their first graduation. Most in the class of 2024 were the high school graduating class of 2020. You know, the one where they went on spring break and never went back to school that semester because of COVID-19. That meant no graduation ceremony for many. They started college in this thing everyone called “a new normal,” when all they wanted was “something normal.” To you, college class of 2024, we hope you find your “next new normal” to be much better than the one the pandemic offered.
For the high school class of 2024, you are stepping into a new world, as well. Whether you’re heading to college, taking a gap year, or entering the workforce, you’re faced with people telling you, “It’s time to grow up, whether you want to or not.” Know that this next phase will be filled with triumph and disappointment and embracing this change will provide life lessons for years to come.
For all graduates, just know the job market is different, the work environment and structure are different, but we challenge you to continue facing life’s tests head-on. We’ve seen you do it and seen you succeed.
Congratulations to all our graduates!