Congratulations to the class of 2017

We love this time of year, as students transition from high school into the next season of their lives. This, of course, unfolds with a fitting send off: commencement. Several such occasions are underway in our area, and we would be remiss not to acknowledge them and offer congratulations.

Delta High School was first in the region to hold its graduation, which was held on May 5.

Cape Girardeau Central High School held its graduation, which included Missouri Options and alternative school students, on May 14 at the Show Me Center. Scott City High School's ceremony was that day as well, which happened to be Mother's Day.

Jackson and Oak Ridge High School students will graduate this Friday, while Saxony Lutheran High School in Jackson and Notre Dame High School in Cape Girardeau hold their ceremonies on Sunday.

These hundreds of students have worked hard to earn their diplomas, some sacrificing other pleasures to excel in academics. It is no small feat when they reach out with one hand to receive that piece of paper designating them high school graduates.

We take this opportunity to offer humble advice to the graduating class of 2017. As much as commencement is a time to reflect and celebrate, it is more than that. It is as much a rite of passage as it is an acknowledgment of past achievement. It is not just an end, but a beginning. Graduates, you will now go into what has been deemed "the real world." Take with you the lessons learned, and put them into practice. Remember the times you asked, when tackling some random mathematical problem, "When will I ever need this?" Well, that question will be answered as you discover that many of those problems you sought to solve during the last 12 years were not so much about those particular problems. They had to do with the discipline of doing what needed to be done, being critical thinkers and persevering through challenges. You'll put these into practice for the rest of your lives -- and you've been molded through your educational experience to do just that.

Congratulations on a successful academic career. We wish you well -- and to borrow the old adage, which seems apropos right now, we believe the best is yet to come.