Graduation: A time of change

Inter Lake editorial

The final projects have been turned in, the cakes have been ordered, the relatives have begun to arrive.

There's a lot of fanfare and celebration that accompany high-school and college graduations, and rightfully so. Our students have worked hard for their diplomas and deserve our congratulations. An added element of celebration this year is Glacier High School's very first commencement.

Many of us remember that feeling of having a whole world full of possibilities ahead of us as we stepped onto the stage to accept our diplomas. The future was bright and anything was possible.

That's still true, of course, but this year's graduates must deal with the reality of a recession in America that has forced many young people to alter their plans for further education.

The Daily Inter Lake's series this week on the Class of 2009, "Changing Course," has focused on the challenges local high-school graduates are facing because of the economic downturn. They've scaled back college plans, opting for less expensive in-state schools instead of the pricey private colleges they'd dreamed of attending. They've dealt with laid-off parents who have had to leave the area to find work. They've lost job opportunities in the construction and timber industries.

There's a lot of uncertainty on the horizon, as America deals with unprecedented national debt, two wars, high unemployment, failing banks and automobile companies and environmental concerns. It's a very scary time to be mapping out a future.

We're confident, though, that this generation of young people can rise to the challenges of getting an education and finding jobs in tough times. It will take more resilience and resourcefulness, but make no mistake, the Class of 2009 is up to the task.

Class mottos inspire our graduates to reach for their dreams, and they reflect the personality of individual graduating classes. There's a time-honored favorite that's especially applicable today: "What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are small matters compared to what lies within us."

Congratulations, graduates. Our hearts go with you as you find your way in this big world. We can only imagine the places you'll go.