Steamboat Pilot & Today

In the past two weeks, Routt County has sent 72 seniors out into the world as Soroco, Hayden, Heritage Christian and Lowell Whiteman high schools held their graduation ceremonies. Another 142 graduates will cross the stage Saturday during Steamboat Springs High School’s ceremony.

As is the case every year, many of these 214 young men and women already have compiled a remarkable list of achievements in their short 18 years. Some are off to continue their educations at some of the country’s most renowned schools, including Harvard, Dartmouth, Cornell, Middlebury and the University of Chicago. Many will fill classrooms closer to home at just about every college and university in Colorado, including our own ever-expanding Colorado Mountain College’s Alpine Campus.

Several athletes will continue competing at the collegiate level in a variety of sports, including skiing, basketball, tennis, softball, wrestling and volleyball. Some are off to do volunteer work for a year before pursuing school or work full time. Many already have held part-time jobs for years and now are entering the workforce full time. Some are off to defend our country as members of the military.

It’s exciting and heartening to hear the plans the graduates have. We salute their achievements and wish them nothing but the best as they pursue their varied individual paths.

We also offer a few words of advice.

High school graduation marks the successful completion of one phase of life and, perhaps more important, marks the beginning of the next. We hope that we — your parents, teachers, coaches, friends, mentors and community members — have prepared you well for the road ahead.

By now, you all have imagined what the next phase looks like. In most cases, it’s an idyllic vision accompanied by a level of freedom that until now you only could dream about.

But temper your expectations and know that your newfound freedom comes with an equal level of responsibility. We have said these things before, but they bear repeating: Go to class. Study. Show up for work on time and work hard. Set aside some money for emergencies. If you’re going to drink, please try to do so in moderation.

You all have been blessed to have spent all or some part of your formative years in Routt County, but understand that most of the world doesn’t always look or feel like Steamboat Springs and the Yampa Valley. Be prepared for that.

We cannot predict the future, but one thing we do know is that you soon will face some kind of adversity — academic challenges, homesickness, financial struggles and more. Some of you will discover that the school, major or profession isn’t the right fit for you.

We can’t say what the right response is to such adversity — that’s up to the individual — but we can say that some response is necessary. Learning to face, and ultimately overcome, our challenges is a bridge to adulthood.

Class of 2012, we are proud of you and wish you the best as you go out into the world.