Today’s Odessa American includes our annual special section called “School Honors.” What a pleasure it is for us to share the good works of hardworking students in our district from both middle schools and high schools. We urge to really look through the pages and see the fantastic works that these youngsters are doing on a daily basis.
All too often we see the bad and the ugly — so being able to produce a section of “the good” is a special treat.
Look through this section and see the names of hundreds of high school graduates from Odessa High, Permian High and George H.W. Bush New Tech. Also, the first graduating classes from Odessa’s Falcon Early College High School and Odessa Career & Technical Early College High School walked the stage last week.
Look at the hard work and the volunteer hours that so many of our best and brightest have put in during their primary years.
We have high hopes for these bright students and urge these grads to look to the future with open minds and hearts as they head to college, trade school or into our workforce.
We also urge them to give a moment of thanks to the parents, teachers, coaches and all others who have encouraged them along to meet the requirements for that cherished diploma.
We hope they face life’s challenges, victories and disappointments with a can do attitude and that they learn the art of both always moving forward as well as the skill or picking themselves up when they fall.
Life won’t always be easy and it won’t always be celebrated as it is during this graduation weekend in Odessa, Texas.
But it is a journey that can be rewarding with hard work and perseverance. We know that these bright grads are up to this task of life and learning about adulating.
Learn all you can and enjoy every step of the way.
Keep a positive attitude and look forward to all that life will throw at you. Make your parents and all those educators who invested time in you proud of how you map out your future.
That’s a lot of advice. But we give it with the very best of intentions.
Most of all, enjoy this exciting time of your life and we wish you all well as you step toward your future.
Happy graduation to the class of 2019!
