May 17, 2025 3 min read

As high schools across the area prepare for commencement, graduates are realizing a new chapter of their lives is about to begin.

They will not be alone. As seniors walk across the stage, they’ll be cheered on by loved ones in the audience who have been supporting them along the way. They, too, will be navigating a new stage of their lives.

For the graduates entering a new era of independence and the parents who got them there, we offer some words of advice.

To our high school graduates:

Congratulations!

High school is done. You’ve made it.

Now comes the looming question: What’s next?

Some of you have already started down the path you intend to follow, some of you are deciding which fork to take, and some of you are lost in the woods.

None of those options are right or wrong. The journey into adulthood – including the choices you’ll make to get there – is one only you can traverse.

To the hyper-focused among you: While there’s comfort in having chosen your path, there’s nothing that says you have to stay on it if it doesn’t make you happy. Use the same decisiveness you showed in making early career-related decisions to recognize if it’s time to adjust course.

To the confused: There is nothing wrong with only having a vague idea about what you want to do. If you know what holds your interest, you’re a good bit of the way there. Do some research, dig into what makes you happy and take a leap.

To the lost: Embrace the adventure and be open to whatever you happen to find. There’s a great deal of freedom in being unconstrained by the box so many graduates drop themself into. As author J.R.R. Tolkien wrote, “Not all of those who wander are lost.”

To all of you: Remember that it’s OK to fail (if you pick yourself up and learn from it); it’s OK to be wrong (if you recognize and acknowledge it); it’s OK to not have it all figured out (if your classmates say they do, they are probably lying).

Most of all, remember that whoever you were in high school no longer matters.

Your life is in front of you.

The path you take to it is your choice.

And now, a quick word to those who have parented graduates, by blood or by love:

The hardest part of raising a child is taking a step back and letting them go, but that’s what you need to do.

No, you shouldn’t cut off all communication and move to Alaska, but you should begin the process of taking small steps out of your child’s life.

You taught them how to have a good head on their shoulders. Let them show you what they have learned.

As you do this, there’s a decent chance you’ll see them fall and fail.

Give them the space and grace to do that, and be there to help them stand again.

During this process, remember that the life in front of your grad belongs to them.

Let them choose their path knowing they have your love propelling them forward.