Commentary; Posted: 7/19/06
Community can be proud of graduates
Steve Massey
Guest Columnist
I would like to thank the entire community for joining with Forest Lake Area High School to celebrate two very important events that recognized our outstanding graduates - the high school Awards & Scholarship Program and the High School Commencement Ceremony.
During our annual Scholarship and Awards ceremony on June 5th, the community acknowledged the hard work of our students with awards and scholarships for their academic achievements, civic involvement, and co-curricular successes.
On June 8th we honored the successes of 575 graduates and as a community, celebrated with them. Flanked by 200 teachers and administrators ranging from early childhood and kindergarten teachers to high school teachers, our graduates were guided down new roads that will lead them to be doctors, nurses, teachers, mechanics, innovators and more.
During the commencement program our students, led by choir director Jim Lindstrom, sang a powerful rendition of ìIt Takes a Village.î The song was an eloquent statement of the magnificent outcomes of a community involved in raising our young!
As a community, weíve all played a role in the success of our young people. Along the way, many of our recent graduates became Eagle Scouts, Advanced Placement Scholars, National Merit Scholars, Presidential Scholars, honor students, scholarship winners, service award winners, participants in countless school and community events, and state champions. This list of accomplishments is remarkable, yet it still falls short of identifying all the successes of our outstanding young people.
Graduation is a new beginning for our students. Our goal is that every one of our graduates will enroll in a post-secondary program after high school.
In many ways, the world our students will face today demands advanced specialized skills and degrees. A high school diploma cannot be viewed as an ending point, but rather as an access diploma to further education and training.
When surveyed, 89 percent of our graduates indicated that next year they plan to attend a college or university, a technical program, or join the military. Specifically, 45 percent indicated that they intend on attending a 4-year college/university, 41 percent plan to attend a technical school or two-year community college, and 3 percent intend on enrolling in the military.
Next year, these students will join past graduates at schools and universities throughout the country as they continue their education and pursue their dreams.
I would like to thank our studentsí parents for their involvement in their childrenís education and for the support they have provided during the endless hours of involvement in academics and community activities. Iíd also like to thank all of you - as coaches, youth leaders, mentors, role models, friends, and supporters for the many ways youíve helped our young people succeed.
Steve Massey is the Forest Lake high school principal.
Forest Lake Times
P.O. Box 218
880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
651-464-4601
Fax 651-464-4605