Beginning last weekend and over the course of the next couple of weekends, area high school and college graduates will mark the end of one chapter and the start of a new phase of their life. For some faculty and staff at those schools, the ceremonies will mark the beginning of retirement.
On Friday, 343 Northeastern Junior College students celebrated their commencement. Saturday, Peetz High School said farewell to one and on Sunday, 16 Merino High School graduates marked a new chapter and 11 Fleming High School closed their time as Wildcats.
Graduation celebrations will continue in the coming weeks. Sterling High School’s 100 graduates will mark their final day as Tigers on Saturday, May 28 and that same day 17 at Caliche High School will celebrate the start of a new beginning.
During your time in school you dealt with a pandemic that brought many challenges, including quarantines, remote learning, masking, scheduling and rescheduling and even cancellation of sports and extracurricular activities. But you were able to enjoy a more normal year this school year and now here you are, graduating!
For college students earning an associate’s degree or certificate can mean a lot; it represents a lot of hard work and dedication that has gotten them to this point. They should take pride and feel confident in their ability to take that next step, whether it’s continuing on with further college education or entering the workforce.
As for high school students, that degree represents the completion of their K-12 career and the beginning of a new journey, out on their own, either attending college or perhaps entering the workforce. They too have much to be proud of.
For all the graduates’ families – parents, children, siblings, grandparents and other relatives – it’s a milestone memory to treasure, having witnessed their loved one complete their journey from preschool, to elementary school, to junior high, high school and then college.
To all the graduates and their families, congratulations and good luck on your future endeavors!
For those retiring, the commencement ceremonies and end of the school year will mark the finish line of a career that in many cases spanned multiple decades. What they have done is no small feat and like graduating from school, takes dedication and a strong work ethic.
As you prepare to start your new chapter, we congratulate all of you retirees and thank you for a job well done.
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