In the immortalized words of Alice Cooper, school’s out… forever.
About 120 R.F. Staples students, along with 15 from St. Mary, have finished their high-school careers and are moving on to, presumably, bigger and better things.
While it’s important to bear in mind that high-school completion is not the be all and end all of success, for the majority of teenagers and young adults it represents the most significant milestone in their lives.
Of course many will go on to post-secondary, where earning that degree, diploma or certificate will eclipse high-school graduation in terms of importance. Many more will go on to achieve personal success in non-academic fields, whether with respect to religion, family, civic duties, or just finally beating Super Mario Brothers without using warp zones.
Ultimately, what high-school graduation represents in our society is the transition to adulthood. Suddenly nobody’s harassing you to attend all your classes, nobody’s asking after that late bit of homework
For those going to university, they will be met with the stark realization that in their first-year classes, their professor doesn’t know their name any more than the 300 other students in the class.
For those going to work, they’ll be met with the stark realization that if they don’t hand in an assignment or complete the work that’s expected of them, they might find themselves starting from square one skimming through the want ads.
For those who plan on doing neither, they’ll be met with the stark realization that their parents are a lot less tolerant of the late-night Xbox marathons and sleeping in until noon.
Whatever their plans, the cold hard reality is that they will have to take ownership and responsibility for their own lives. For some of us that transition went a little smoother than others. Some of us are still making that transition many years later.
It’s easy to be cynical about the younger generation. Every generation looks on the one that succeeds it with a certain amount of disdain. But the fact remains that one day, these will be the people making all the big decisions. So if you see a recent graduate out on the mean streets of Westlock this summer, give them a “congratulations” and wish them the best of luck in all their future endeavours.
