Every graduating class thinks it's unique. The class of 2024 will be no different.
A ceremony in Hap Parker Arena at Powell River Recreation Complex on Saturday, June 8, will mark the end of one journey for those students, and the beginning of another. They now embark on their lives as others have before, in different times and taking different paths, to set their own mark on society. Challenges await.
Finding any kind of employment, let alone meaningful employment, is more of a challenge than ever before. Shifting economies and depleted natural resources mean the base of industry is changing, as well as the type of jobs that are in demand.
Young people graduating this weekend will inherit the world their elders have made for them. They will have to face the burden of a large demographic bulge entering old age. They will have to deal with demands on the health-care system and pension funds. They will have to cope with a degraded environment because of the lack of government controls on industry and toxic waste.
They will also have to deal with changing power bases in the world. With hot spots all over the globe - Ukraine and Gaza to name just two - armed conflict is escalating. Will they be able to cope with those challenges?
For anyone who spends time with today's youth, the answer is easy. They are healthier, better educated and more confident than at any other time. They are savvy in the ways of the world and sophisticated. Although they may know what they want, they have a good idea about how to discover for themselves what is real and important.
Because of modern technology, youth coming from small regions such as qathet aren't at any disadvantage. On the contrary, they have received many advantages and opportunities, while being protected from dangers more common to larger urban centres.
Youth who are graduating this year are the products of a community that cares. Their brightness, energy and creativity are evidence of that. We pay tribute to them and wish them the best in all their endeavours.
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