Members from the Class of 2022 are unique, having endured unprecedented challenges on their path toward this rite of passage. As thousands of high school and college students in Clark County participate in commencement ceremonies this year, they can boldly step forward knowing that they are well-prepared for the future.
It hasn’t been easy. This year’s graduates have experienced one year of relative normalcy during their high school and college careers, followed by unprecedented upheaval.
COVID-19 arrived during their sophomore years, leading to periods of remote learning, uncertainty, canceled activities, postponed events, times of isolation, distancing from friends and colleagues, health concerns, masks, vaccinations, debates about masks and vaccinations, and general disruptions to the lives they had known.
Those difficulties have made them stronger, creating an awareness that normalcy and comfort are not to be taken for granted; that hardship is part of life and often out of our control; and that we must forge ahead despite the roadblocks that appear in our path.
They also have learned those roadblocks often cannot be navigated solely through individual determination. Teachers, parents and administrators deserve extraordinary praise for shepherding this year’s graduates to a meaningful milestone.
Like the students themselves, those who guide them have faced challenges. Teachers, in particular, had to reinvent their craft and adjust to remote teaching — a previously inconceivable demand.
It is notable that we use the word “commencement” to designate the end of one phase of an academic journey. Yet the first definition of “commence” is “to have or make a beginning.” In truth, graduation ceremonies are the start of something, not the end.
This year’s college graduates are entering a world much different from the one of four years ago. Social and economic norms have been altered, and there are valid reasons to fear for the future they are inheriting. Climate change, threats to democracy and financial pressures that have diminished the middle class create challenges for their generation.
This year’s high school graduates also face unique challenges. Whether going to college or entering the workforce — or, in many cases, both — they will draw on lessons already learned to figure out a path to a prosperous future.
To graduates: Throughout this season, you will be receiving plenty of advice. From commencement speakers to mentors to well-meaning uncles, you will hear stories of how things were back in their day, how they found their way, how if you only do this or that you will succeed.
Listen to it all; wisdom is forged through experience. And then find your own path.
Each generation is defined and shaped by unique circumstances that require creative solutions. And COVID-19 has provided you with great insight into how humanity is interconnected; when a microscopic virus that originated on the other side of the globe can have an outsized impact on your lives, you are reminded that the world is surprisingly small.
Because of all this, you are prepared for whatever lies ahead. Much as the Great Depression steeled the World War II generation, the trials of the past two years have readied you for future troubles. Do not lament those trials; embrace them as a remarkable learning experience. You are stronger because of them.
Graduation season is a time of flowery words and meaningful lessons. But one word takes preeminence: Congratulations.
