Everywhere you look there seems to be a graduation party! Up the street, next door, in Canandaigua, in East Rochester, everywhere in the Finger Lakes, all are celebrating the completion of 12 years in public school. I’m trying hard to remember my graduation. There were 62 seniors that graduated from my little high school in Smithville, Ohio. We were all grown up then. We had achieved what had been carefully laid out for us by our teachers, our parents, and members of the community. Our motto was, “The Best Is Yet To Be!” We were given a diploma but it didn’t come with a map which laid out our future. Likewise, we weren’t even given a list of warnings as to what difficulties we might have to face or endure. But we surely did possess a huge amount of enthusiasm and youthful energy to “get on with the future!”
My grandson Christian graduated from East Rochester High School last Saturday. We celebrated his graduation with a little party at an East Rochester restaurant. It was a happy occasion. Today Christian, you feel like you are at the top of the ladder. But soon you will see that there are many more rungs left to climb. We hope that you too are filled with enthusiasm, optimism, and hope. These are the propellants which will take you to the next level of your journey. Our very best wishes!
James R. Bupp