Graduates embody season’s sense of possibility

Posted 5/20/14

Standing again on the cusp of summer, a sense of change and possibility is all around us in Rhode Island.

Clad in caps and gowns, graduates of the Ocean State’s colleges, universities and high …

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Graduates embody season’s sense of possibility

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Standing again on the cusp of summer, a sense of change and possibility is all around us in Rhode Island.

Clad in caps and gowns, graduates of the Ocean State’s colleges, universities and high schools embody the season’s spirit. Thousands have, or will in the weeks ahead, celebrate this key milestone in their lives alongside loved ones.

The moment serves as an opportunity for graduates to reflect on where their journey has thus far taken them, and where it may yet lead. Further education, the working world, other adventures and endeavors – the paths these young people will take are many, but all began in local classrooms.

The moment can also be bittersweet. For graduates, it is a final opportunity to gather with classmates before moving on to the next chapter of their lives. Many – too many, based on recent statistics and stories – will move outside Rhode Island to find opportunity, returning only for holidays or breaks.

For our communities, graduation signifies time’s forward march. Each class carries with it the character of its native city or town, the product of years of effort on the part of families, neighbors, educators and many others. The students serve as the most tangible realization of our shared hopes for the future and a reminder that more must be done to help our young people stay and build lives here.

The hope we see in our children, and the sense of time’s passing, can be seen elsewhere in the late weeks of spring.

This month, Rhode Island will join the nation in observing Memorial Day, one of our most solemnly shared occasions. Amid barbecues and backyard gatherings, Americans everywhere will be asked to pause for a moment and remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the country – those who selflessly surrendered their own promise and potential so that others might freely pursue their dreams.

There will be family trips and weddings, long weekends surrounded by friends and warm nights spent lazily with the ones we love. Beaches will fill on hot days, and scores will queue outside clam shacks to enjoy seasonal treats.

All of these summer staples lie ahead. Like our graduates, we can for now allow ourselves to fully embrace and enjoy the promise that comes along with this time of year. Soon enough, it will again be time for change.

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