Congratulations class of 2009!

Graduation is a time to put on a cap and gown and celebrate the winding road the led us to an end. At this crossroad, we remember the journey that is ending, and we prepare to embark on the journey that is beginning. When I graduated from high school, I was preparing to move into a dorm and study to become a professional flutist. When I graduated from college I was preparing for a job as a family and consumer sciences teacher. As a teacher, each graduation is a time to be honored for your contribution to the academic development of the graduates. Tonight, as I watch students that I have had walk across the stage, I am proud of them and excited for them to begin the next stage of their lives. As I reflect on experiences I've had after my respective graduations, I hope for them to have the courage to face the unknowns of their life without fear. I sometimes feel unable to move ahead because I am overwhelmed with fear of the unknown. The truth? If I had known what was going to happen to me in the future, many times I would have been too afraid to move ahead. Having to face each day not knowing what is going to happen is a way for God to encourage us to trust and live boldly. This allows us to fully experience the joys and sorrows that are inevitable; to embrace our lives as they are and continue to grow and change. As I have watched my students grow and change, I know that I have only seen the beginning. Congratulations, class of 2009-may you face the future with warm courage and high hope.