Beech Tree News Network

My youngest grandson is graduating from Butler County High School. In our family, graduation is a time of family celebration. We celebrate the graduate’s accomplishment – reaching a milestone. And we celebrate the family reaching a finish line.

Many statements have been made about graduation. Five of those are listed below:

·       In the business world, everyone is paid in two coins: cash and experience. Take the experience first; the cash will come later. –Harold Geneen

·       It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are. –e.e. cummings

·       What we are is God’s gift to us. What we become is our gift to God. –Eleanor Powell

·       Whenever it is possible, a boy should choose some occupation which he should do even if he did not need the money. –William Lyon Phelps

·       Find something you love to do and you'll never have to work a day in your life. –Author unknown (http://www.quotegarden.com/graduation.html).

I also read an article of advice for graduates. Robert Michaelson’s “10 Things Every High School Graduate Should Hear” (written in 2013, updated in 2017) offered one piece of advice I want to pass along: make connections. In point number nine, “Start job searching now,” he said:

“Make connections. I cannot stress this enough to youngsters in any field of work. You need to build your skills in order to do a job, but a strong connection will make you 80 percent more likely to get it. Get to know the people in your chosen career that interest you and (you) can look up to. Talent rewards talent. I would help out any of my peers from college who proved that they not only knew what to do, but were trustworthy enough to do it right. You will make many more friends this way, and one can never have too many friends” (https://patch.com/new-hampshire/amherst/10-things-every-high-school-grad...).

I like to think that Michaelson is right about talent rewarding talent. At the same time, people connections are most certainly helpful in job searching.

Certainly, graduates face choices that change their lives. They must make decisions regarding continuing education, a job or career, and the military. Based on the 2016-2017 school year data (https://education.ky.gov/comm/edfacts/Pages/default.aspx), most Kentucky students are making good choices: the Successful Transition Rate was 92.5% (the percentage of high school graduates attending college, vocational/technical schools, entering the military, employed or a combination). Each graduate must make a choice, reflecting his or her unique individuality. As parents and grandparents, our encouragement can be a wonderful graduation gift.

Undoubtedly, graduation is a time to celebrate. Someone said, “The tassel’s worth the hassle!” I am very thankful for my grandson’s accomplishment and hope amazing things happen in the lives of all our Butler County graduates.