From the porch
Whew- Time for a little rest
By Dwight Otwell

The last commencement speech has been uttered. The hugs, tears and smiles have been received and bestowed.

There are several hundred new high school graduates in this area. After all of the preparation, anxiety and rush of the past few weeks, there is now a momentary lull among the graduates, school personnel and parents. There is a short time to bask in the glory of a life-long task accomplished. Most of the graduates have been in school for 13 years. Many people never work at one job for that long.

The new graduates can rest for a little while. But, as many of us older graduates know, the reality of life and all its joys, sorrows and disappointments now await.

Most of the students who graduate in this region will go on to some higher form of education, perhaps delaying the already mentioned reality of life for a period of time. Some will go to four-year colleges and some will stop with a twoyear degree from a community college where they will learn a skill that can earn them a good living. A few are entering the military to serve our country.

Of course, there are some among the new graduates who will seek no further education at present. They will go to work, perhaps get married and settle down. But, these days, it is much harder to crash into a good career and earn a satisfying income without some advanced training.

The new graduates have a much better chance of a life above the poverty level than those who do not graduate from high school. Every year, about a million young people who should graduate from high school don't, condemning them to a lifetime of lower income and limited opportunities.

The national graduation

rate is around 70 percent. In 2001, the state with the lowest graduation rate was Florida at 56 percent and the state with the highest graduation rate was North Dakota at 89 percent.

Local educators work hard to prevent students from dropping out of high school. The effort has shown some success.

However, the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research states that only 32 percent of all students in the United States leave high school qualified to attend four-year colleges. To be "college ready", they must 1) graduate from high school 2) take certain courses in high school that colleges require for the acquisition of necessary skills and 3) demonstrate basic literacy skills.

Four year college degrees

aren't needed by all graduates. Two-year degrees in a technical field can often prepare a young person for a good paying career.

Graduates, you have accomplished something worthwhile. Relax for awhile. You have a trait that will help you throughout your entire life. That's perseverance. You may have plodded along or breezed through school thus far - but you have persevered.

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