Another year passes and we pause at this time to congratulate and honor the hard working students who achieved their goal of successfully completing their courses of studies at their respective high schools and colleges.

It takes a lot of dedication and commitment to follow through to completion in this world, which is filled with so many challenges and distractions. It is no small feat to take one’s education to the limit, and these moments represent important milestones along the path to success in life.

We should lavish these kids with praise for their accomplishments and encourage them to take it to the next level. To constantly strive to better themselves, be it moving on to college or grad school, professional or vocational schooling. Going yet another step further shows ambition and a sense of belief in oneself that can propel one to success unimagined by those who fall short of the mark.

It can be said that one’s life is a never-ending process of discovery and learning. That we are always in school, in fact. Still, achieving the goal of completing a set course of study is especially satisfying and sets the stage for even bigger accomplishments.

And so we applaud the achievements of the class of 2016. May they go on to know great success in their professional and personal lives. They so clearly deserve it.