Let the journey begin

The life-long dream of hundreds of area high school seniors became true this weekend as they received their diplomas.

Laughter, tears of joy and relief was expressed throughout the area as they look on toward bigger and brighter things.

Classmates took time to share with friends and family, memories of growing up and anecdotes of their teachers. Points in their lives that have become pivotal to their education and development.

Arlington High School salutatorian Caroline Jamison noted in her address, “The One Way Street,” that “You can look back, but you can never go back. ... Memories are just that, memories.”

Money and status do not equate to happiness, Jamison told her classmates. Making good choices and being a charitable person will pay far greater dividends throughout life, she said.

Jamison furthermore wished her classmates luck and stated her confidence in all of their abilities.

As these graduates prepare for their futures, their varying abilities are all linked by their dreams for the future.

Lexi Kimball, one of 19 graduates of Cedar Bluffs, will move to Chicago to begin her collegiate education at the Illinois Institute of Art.

Cameron TenEyck, one of 52 graduates of Arlington will be leaving in June to join the U.S. Air Force, hoping to some day pursue a career in law enforcement. Fellow Arlington classmate Devan Gieselmann also will look toward law enforcement as she heads to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to begin study in forensic science.

For North Bend Central valedictorian Elliot Shanahan, one of 48 graduates, it is to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for an education based in chemical engineering.

Jerod Sindelar would like to take classes at Metropolitan Community College, said retiring North Bend math teacher, Lon Bohling.

For not just these 119 graduates, but for all graduates, as well as the communities that have nurtured their growth, the time has come for them to look forward to a future full of possibilities and adventures.

In the words of North Bend salutatorian Adam Emanuel, “Let the journey begin.”