A Salute to our High School Graduates

It is an honor to congratulate all high school graduates in the Thirtieth Congressional District for successfully completing your high school education.  It is a significant achievement in your life, and it represents another step in your quest for knowledge. I am certain that your families and your teachers are extremely proud.

Many of you will continue your studies in our nation’s colleges and universities. Some will become members of our military service, while others will pursue training that will provide you with skills that are so desperately needed in our society.

Whatever the path you have chosen, I urge all of our graduates to make the search for knowledge a lifetime quest. Never give up on your dreams, even during times of difficulty and despair. Success will always be within your grasp.

As students, you have developed great minds and determined wills. I urge you to be relentless in the pursuit of those things that have captivated your interests and your energies. Continue to conceive new inventions, and develop new ideas that will help mold our world, and the lives of people who live in it.

Our cities, our states, our nation and our world are in great need of your talent, your compassion, your determination, your ingenuity and your commitment to creating a better society. In years to come, you will be the leaders in our society, responsible for making decisions that will affect the lives of others.

The teachers and administrators in your school have invested in you because they know that the future will be determined by decisions that you make. I believe that they are correct, and I have no doubt that your accomplishments will be great!

This is also a special time for members of your family who have loved and guided you through this phase of your life. I can imagine the great sense of pride they share in your accomplishments. I experienced the same sense of pride when my son and grandsons graduated from high school.  I was excited about their futures and looked forward to the many milestones they had yet to experience.

You must continue your search for academic and personal excellence. Be passionate about your beliefs and your work. Use sound judgment as you interact with others, and make certain that you contribute your special talents to improving our society.