Congratulations, graduates — much lies ahead

In graduation ceremonies around the county next week, almost 850 young people will be receiving their high school diplomas.

We congratulate each of them and we acknowledge just what a struggle obtaining that diploma has been for many of them.

They entered high school during particularly challenging times. These students were eighth graders when COVID-19 forever changed how education — and the world — would operate. They had no eighth-grade dance or graduations. They were robbed of all the rites of passage that typically accompany the last near in middle school.

And then instead of the excitement of starting high school, they began their freshman year with remote learning. They weren’t able to attend in-person classes on the high school campus until April 2021.

Their high school experience was bookended by another devastating event — Hurricane Helene. Less than two months into the school year, they once again were forced off campus and back to remote learning. Homecoming events were rescheduled. Home stadiums and ballfields were flooded. Power was out for days, or longer, for many Burke families.

Everything that seemed “normal” in their lives came to a screeching halt.

Yes, life is unpredictable. Around every corner can be success or failure, love or heartbreak. The triumphs and tragedies of life weave a complex, yet beautiful story. Our advice to graduates is to celebrate each win and learn from each loss. Be open to change. Stay connected to friends and family, no matter where life takes you. Never stop learning. Remember that your value is in no way tied to how much money you make, the size of your home, or the car you drive.

More advice? Here are a few excerpts from commencement keynote addresses given by cultural and business leaders.

“Success is not the absence of failure; it’s the persistence through failure.” — Aisha Taylor

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” — Mahatma Gandhi

“Don’t let your fears overwhelm your desire. You will never know what you’re capable of unless you try.” — Sheryl Sandberg

“Check your ego at the door and start checking your gut instead.” — Oprah Winfrey

“The unfortunate yet truly exciting thing about your life is that there is no core curriculum. The entire place is an elective.” — Jon Stewart

“Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there.” — Will Rogers

“Have the wisdom to recognize the best in others while always demanding the best from yourself.” — Madeleine Albright

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. “ — Steve Jobs

If we may bestow one wish upon our graduating seniors, it is that they pursue excellence in all aspects of their lives and that happiness comes to them from that effort.

May they be excellent wives and excellent husbands, excellent mothers and excellent fathers to their children, and excellent sons and daughters as their parents grow older.

May they strive for excellence in the workplace, settling not for the easy or for the mediocre, but rather upholding the highest standards of performance and personal conduct.

So, congratulations, Class of 2025.

We salute you for your accomplishments.

And we look forward to great things from you in the future.