Beech Tree News Network

Last Saturday, I attended one of Western Kentucky University’s graduation ceremonies. As I watched several hundred graduates “walk the line,” including my first-born daughter, I thought about the choices these people had made to bring them to graduation. Graduates – from high school or college – have to make many hard choices.

Why would a person choose college? Some attend because a degree is required for their chosen career; others may attend to increase their earning power. In 2014, Danielle Kurtzleben in U.S. News reported study findings concerning the income gap between young college and high school graduates. Surprisingly, the study showed the value of a college degree is greater than it has been in nearly half a century when compared to the prospect of not getting a degree. Kurtzleben clarified, “Today's young high school-only graduates earn about 62 percent of what their college-graduate peers earn. In 1965, the figure was nearly 81 percent” (http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/02/11/study-income-gap-between-...). Kurtzleben explained that college graduate earnings are not improving rapidly, but “life for high school-only graduates has gotten tougher.” Additionally, when the young college graduates (ages 18 to 32) were presented with four things they could have done differently in college – getting more work experience, studying harder, looking for work sooner and picking a different major, 31 percent said they would have done three or all four of those things differently. Yet, graduating from college continues to help one’s earning power. And, choosing a job or a career is one of life’s hardest choices.

Many have voiced their opinion about graduation or given advice to graduates; some of those comments are listed below (http://www.quotegarden.com/graduation.html):
•    There is a good reason they call these ceremonies "commencement exercises."  Graduation is not the end; it’s the beginning. --Orrin Hatch
•    An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest. --Author unknown, commonly attributed to Benjamin Franklin
•    Keep in mind that neither success nor failure is ever final. --Roger Babson

I also asked friends and family what advice they would give a high school or college graduate. Their responses were:
•    Always put God first in your life, and you will succeed.
•    Make your education count.
•    Pray, work hard, take a look around and enjoy your life – it’ll pass by way too quickly.
•    Don’t stay at a job for forty years just because it is a secure paycheck. Be adventuresome and find what really makes you want to get out of bed each day. Be the leading character in your life not the supporting character.
•    Don’t rush these years. Don’t hurry to get married. Set goals, dream big, work hard for the job you want, and take time for you. The best years are ahead!
•    Do something you want to do. Don’t get stuck in something you don’t want to do. And, don’t get in debt.
•    Don’t blow your money, and try to save as much as you can!
•    Don’t choose a career path based solely on expected wages. Ask people who work in your areas of interest what they like or dislike about their jobs. Do some job shadowing and evaluate the work as realistically as you can.
•    The journey you have planned may not be the path the good Lord has mapped out for you. Be patient, be open-minded, and enjoy the ride.
•    No matter the highs or lows, the ups and downs, the successes or the losses, keep God in your life. And, thank your parents before graduation night.
•    The only thing I can think of is really for everyone, not just graduates. Live every day as a gift. Don’t just go through the motions. You don’t know how much time you have. Don’t take tomorrow for granted.
•    Let your plans for today consider the possibilities of tomorrow.
•    Remember that everyone starts at the bottom. Be patient, and you will rise up. Don’t give up.
•    Follow your dream, but don’t stop there. Do the work that’s needed. Even if your dream doesn’t come through, something else that’s worthy will.
•    I think I would tell graduating seniors to explore their options.  They need an education; but, at such a young age, they should be flexible about changing their minds before settling into something for a lifetime career.
•    In the words of Steven Covey: live, love, learn, and leave a legacy. More simply, in the words of Howard Vaughn: Love God and love your neighbor.
•    It may take hard work and determination to get to where you want to be; but, if the desire is there, you will get there.

Graduation should be a time of celebration. Someone once said, “The tassel’s worth the hassle! (http://www.quotegarden.com/graduation.html). I agree. So, congratulations to my daughter and to all graduates!