To celebrate the Class of 2024, we asked readers to share their best advice with this year’s graduates. We received a lot of great and encouraging advice. Keep scrolling to see the advice shared from Naples Daily News readers. (Comments have been edited for spelling.)
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Advice for the Class of 2024
Be an excellent communicator.
— Edward Donnelly
With competence comes confidence. Whether it’s in class or at work, learn as much as you can. That knowledge brings competence which leads to you becoming more confident.
— Anne Carty
Don't look down on trades. An electrician or plumber will always be in demand.
— Adele Ziminski
Proceed first with love — for yourself and for others. If love and kindness is your first stop, you will be fine. As a retired teacher, I used to tell my students, “if you’re not going to do the “right” thing for the “right” reason (kindness and compassion) do it for the selfish reason — that is — what goes up will come down and who you meet on your way up will be somewhere in your life on the way down … what do you want them to remember about you?
— Anne Harris
Be open to something different than you expected.
— Ann Foley
Practice a firm, confident handshake while making eye contact. Follow through with tasks; be reliable and a person of integrity. Use civilized language and good grammar. Recipe for success in all of life’s endeavors.
— Angela Drobinski
Be true to yourself and others. Life is much easier to manage when you surround yourself in truths instead of lies. Don't be jealous your time will come. Be happy with who you are because there are people who admire you. Slow down and take the time to enjoy life's simple pleasures.
— Brian Smith
Choose a career that you love and make you the happiest, therefore you will be set for long time,
When you love what you do, it showed on your behavior, and you excel, work is no longer work. You get up in morning feel jazzed to go and get started.
— Camelia Azarians
Sex doesn't equal love. Do what makes you happy on the inside. Remain hopeful and positive. Have a caring soul. Remember success doesn't happen overnight. Don't feel obligated to follow your parents dream for you if it's not your dream.
— Tammy Duval
Remember not to be short sighted ... it may look like a good choice now but always look ahead to your future and be sure it is a choice that will ultimately take you where you want to be.
— Claudia Foster
Congratulations to you and to your family upon your graduation! You have succeeded through the academics, the joys and turmoils of the past few years, including COVID, and political issues that have caused great divisions worldwide. Follow your hearts to the paths that light up your life to make our country and the world one of peace, one of kindness, humility and sharing. Share what you have been given. And always, be thankful.
— Diana DeCaro
Vote to persevere women's rights!
— Doreen Kostecki
"THINK Rationally
ACT Responsibly
FEEL Empathetically
SHOW UP
LOOK Neat & BE on Time"
— Chris Friedrich
College degree is not required for most jobs today. Healthcare and Trades space are where it's at.
— Gifford Hallam
Your opportunities are endless! Don’t be afraid to go with your gut and follow your heart. Take chances and try something new! If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your lifetime. Congrats Grads!
— Heather Ackerman
COLLEGE GRADS: practice interviewing: Search for practice interview questions for the job you desire, practice in a mirror ask a friend to practice with you or Google good interviews and bad interviews. They’re all out there. Remember your first impression matters!
HIGH SCHOOL GRADS: explore everything college has to offer. Not everyone knows what they want to do at the age of 18, so take any class in college that is of interest to you. Some people might think the class is more like a hobby, but remember hobbies turn into businesses. But explore it all!
— Mary Jaeger
Seek opportunities, be honest and strive to be your best!
— Jane Surdi
Go into the trades, plenty of work there.
— Joseph Beaver
Set goals to work towards and stick to them. It is easy to get distracted by this newfound freedom. Enjoy life and family.
— Joan Butler
Shut out the noise and be yourself!
— James Westrick
Make sure you always have health insurance even if you don't have a job.
— Julia McCandlish
Be selfless. Think of others and put God first.
— Judy Womelsdorf
"Learn to live within your means.
Start a savings account
Be kind"
— Karen Medford
The one constant in your careers will be change. Be prepared for it, embrace it and you will be fine. Enjoy yourself! Life is short; before you know it, you will be giving your wisdom to a new generation.
— James Kersten
Be yourself and follow your heart!
— Kathie Napoliton
Do good to feel good.
— Loretta Mller
You can achieve almost anything if you focus on your goal. The trick is to do that and maintain a balanced life.
— Martha Purdy
Congratulate yourself! You deserve it, you did it! Be true to yourself and follow your ❤️.
— Mary Lentovich
Find your passion and incorporate this into your future career. Find a mentor and don't be afraid to get outside of your comfort zone. Take opportunities to grow and learn from these experts in your field. You will be so glad you took the opportunities to learn and grow!
— Mary Buttrey
Do not listen to the crowd. Do what you think is right and listen to your own heart!
— Monica Goodwin
Enjoy life save money & be happy.
— Nancy Crafton
Be present in this moment. Be very aware of the world around you and forget your devices. The one thing you can never get back is time … don’t waste yours looking down at a screen.
— Pandy Olmstead
Buy plastics.
— Philip Wax
Be the person you want to be!
— Julie Powers
Remain true to yourself. Then, identify your undiluted passion and channel your energy to pave its path to career and personal fulfillments.
— Robert Sutherby
Perhaps most important, be yourself! Learn to use the critical thinking skills that you have hopefully acquired to evaluate all of the life opportunities that are available to you! Be willing to take measured risks in selecting your career opportunities. Life is a marathon not a sprint, consider alternatives and pursue those goals that are most important to you! Always keep in mind, "you measure the things that you do, by the things that you say no to." Congratulations and good luck!
— Richard Jury
Be the best you can be!
— RON Antonelli
Set your goal much higher than you think you could ever achieve. Determine who can help you get there. Then Work Hard. Do not get distracted.
— Ruth Seydel
Investigate an apprenticeship of any kind. HVAC, plumbing, electrician, welding, mechanic, anything where you can get a real job making good money. You cannot start out at the top of the law firms and legal aids aren't paid well. So many opportunities for people who want to work hard and learn a skill.
— Sue George
Don't play leap frog with a unicorn.
— Susan Diggs
It's what you work for that will give you the greatest satisfaction. Gifts are nice but it's what you earn is the actual gift.
— Debbie Lasko
My advice to all the graduates would be: "do it, time is going to pass anyway, get it done." And “remember to take accountability for your decisions — nobody is responsible for you except you."
— Trudy Watkins
It’s not how much money you make. It’s how you use the money you make.
— Sharon Twarozek
People who put you down are insecure and envious, be patient.
— Jory Westberry
Do not go to college — go to a trade school.
— William King
"Never bet on a dead horse.
Always marry for money the second time.
It is a requirement you grow old, It is not a requirement you grow up."
— Douglas Jensen
You are about to begin a new chapter of your life! If your time in high school was a struggle, you now have the opportunity to shed that past life and reinvent yourself. As you go into college or whatever your “next step” is don’t let the past weigh on you. Be present in the present and look forward to what is to come.
— Heather Brown
Be a better listener and don't give up.
— Barbara Ferraro
Get registered, and VOTE. Your nation is depending on it.
— Ginger Robinson
Be kind.
— Claudia Monte
With the economy in a constant turmoil, save what you can. Even if it is a small amount, it makes a difference for your future down the road.
— Mary Redden
Believe in your heart your life matters! I wish someone would have told me that sooner. Trust your instincts about people and situations. If someone or something doesn’t feel right, it’s probably not. Be kind anyway. Surround yourself with people who love and support you. What you study after graduation will help you determine your strengths and weaknesses-all of it will be helpful in your life. And don’t forget to have fun! Congratulations!
— Cindy Cooper
Be wise, be diligent, attain a goal and never give up your dream to achieve it.
— Fom Diorio
Start saving early. Make it a habit by "paying yourself first." From each paycheck take out a specified amount (dollars or percent) and put the money in a savings account or an investment account. Build your budget (you do have a budget, right?) around the idea that you have that much less for spending.
— DONALD TIMM
Thank your family. Get a job to be independent — having a job helps getting a better one. Always do your best.
— Erland Stevens
Plan the retirement TODAY! IRA, 401k, savings, investments and passive income. Don’t become a liberal. It will ruin your future and it’s very unflattering.
— Celia Revuelta
"10 THINGS I WOULD WANT A GRADUATING SENIOR TO KNOW"
1. Thank your teachers.
2. Go to college to learn — college is not a $50k party.
3. Don't peak in high school
4. College is a "Do-Over." Rarely do you get a real second chance in life.
5. Be a reader.
6. Surround yourself with people who will make you a better person. Jim Rohn said "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with." Goethe said, "Tell me with whom you consort, and I will tell you who you are."
7.High school and college serve as employee/work force training. Goethe, " Tell me how you spend your time, then I know what might become of you."
8. Find balance in your life.
9. Save your money. Do not go into debt while in college. Be a saver. Your credit score is important to your future. Charlie Munger, the Manager of Berkshire Hathaway and a close confident of Warren Buffet said "The best way to get what you want is to deserve what you want."
10. Come home and thank your parents for their sacrifice, care, and love.
— Fred Moulton
The era of the generalist is OVER! Make sure you specialize and focus on one area! Be the best you can be at it.
— Joseph Mr Benaroya
Be sure to vote for our democracy. Congratulations and best wishes!
— Karen Carr
Practice random acts of kindness on a daily basis. Doesn’t have to be major. It could be as simple as opening the door for a classmate. Soon it will become a habit. When you graduate your habit will make the world a better place.
— Karen DeFazio
Make the most of every moment & live life to the fullest. Go out and have fun with friends, treat yourself, study hard but still take breaks to do things that bring you joy!
— Kimberly Cordero
Take the time to explore, but always be aware of your actions becoming part of history (avoid the “party” posts on social media as years from now, those actions might negatively impact the future you opportunities.
— Kenneth Koch
Keep focused and keep your head up!
— Gregg Kolessar
Dear Class of 2024, Do everything you can to silence the voice of other well-meaning people's opinions if it's anything but supportive and encouraging for you. There are so many details and moves that you will be making as you get out there, just be sure to keep telling yourself "Yes." And not just for today but throughout the years. You can slow down when you feel overwhelmed or unsure. There are no wrong moves for you! You've got this.
— Joan Cannon
Don’t worry about your GPA or your rank in your class. Find something that interests you and work hard to succeed in it.
— Paul McHugh
Always take the high road; you will never have to regret your words or actions.
— Patricia Connell
To save as much money as possible by eating out less, cooking at home more, move in with compatible roommates to share the rent, carpool if possible, and put extra money into a Bank CD.
— Paul Haidet
Push yourself and reach for the stars!
— Robbie Maris
The best is yet to be! Enjoy everyday and take advantage of every opportunity. Don’t look back with any regrets.
— Stephanie Hoffman
Treat every person you meet with respect. Respect all types of work. Recognize that every person has a right to choose their own path.
— Susan Sissman
Give of yourself and help others along the way. Listen and learn.
— Janis Hansen
Follow your heart, not the crowd!
— Stewart Fuhrmann
Be true to yourself and be kind unto others.
— Bill Sever
Oh the places you will go! Follow your passion. Never stop learning. Take responsibility for your actions. Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today. Congratulations!
— Victoria Gabriel
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