By Kay Wilson
I’ve watched literally hundreds of young people marching in numerous processionals during commencement exercises through my years.
During the last couple years, I’ve been gone for literally most of the high schools’ commencement ceremonies, thankfully leaving it to a dedicated news crew. But, I detect something new this year that I hope is the beginning of a trend with our young people. Not just at the high school level, but also with the elementary children moving up to high school and some from the university level, I can feel a responsible attitude for our future.
I can’t remember in the past the number of students from our county schools who were not “just going on to school,” but who were thrilled with their next step into adulthood by attending higher educational offerings. Maryville school even initiated special signing ceremonies for academics, just like the traditional athletic signings. What a nice touch for those seniors who have their head on straight and are ready to meet the future.
Another news flash was the amount of scholarship monies garnered for the 160 graduates from the county schools this year. It was phenomenal. I would guess, without having an official total, the dollars awarded would have been close to a half-million. And there are still some being announced and given. Now, I can remember the task of filling out the numerous scholarship applications that a student must do, with the prodding of a mom. It’s not easy or any fun. I also commend the school counselors who discover and share the multitude of scholarships offered each year for their students to apply for. It truly takes a village to make these feats successful.
While the national media outlets are preaching gloom and doom, let it be known, the Nodaway News Leader sees a bright, positive future. We love good news and there is quite a bit of that to report. So, you can depend on reading articles about your neighbors making headlines in every edition of your newspaper.
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