Too many won’t be marching

Published 4:07 pm Friday, June 4, 2010

Few traditions stand the test of time more gracefully than high school graduation, the annual educational right of passage.

Throughout history, commencement ceremonies haven’t changed much. Students typically don matching, ill-fitted gowns accessorized with square hats perched precariously on their heads. They line up alphabetically (a skill they learned in kindergarten) and solemnly march in straight rows into stadiums or arenas to sit for hours in uncomfortable folding chairs.

In the stands, proud parents and anxious family members wait impatiently through rounds of speeches for the brief moment when the designated school official announces the name of their loved one. In spite of being admonished to avoid loud disruptive displays of emotion, few family members can contain their joy, capturing the occasion with a camera flash and an eruption of hoots, hollers and raucous applause.

Whether their favorite student’s name appears at the top of the dean’s list or on the short list of frequent visitors to the vice principal’s office, they’re filled with pride for their accomplishment. We’re right there with them. There’s certainly a lot to celebrate with the class of 2010.

While the pageantry of graduation is a timeless event, each student gathered for commencement represents an utterly unique educational journey. Some will sit tall and confident in their chairs with a firm plan in place for their future, knowing that they’re headed to college this fall with well-deserved scholarship money already in their pockets. Others may be feeling lucky to be there, having somehow scraped together the credits, grades and other requirements to walk alongside their classmates. With a high school diploma in hand, they’re undoubtedly headed into the future much better equipped for success.

It’s also likely that somewhere in the stands are students who find themselves on the outside looking in. These young adults are at one of life’s most challenging crossroads. Perhaps they dropped out somewhere along the way, letting a bump in the road derail them. Or maybe they fell just short of meeting the requirements needed to participate in graduation events.

We encourage these young people to contact their school counselor or look into a GED program right away. It’s worth it. They’re worth it.

We offer our heartiest congratulations to this year’s graduates. We’re proud of them.

Until we can reverse the staggeringly unacceptable drop-out rate in our schools, though, commencement will continue to feel a little bittersweet.