Every year, I like to reflect on the upcoming graduating class at NRHEG. I think about what those darlings were like when they patrolled the hallways of the middle school wing and then compare that to their (hopefully) more-enlightened selves ready to embark on new adventures once graduation occurs.
I’ve actually been contemplating this year’s senior class since about halfway through basketball season. Watching the girls’ basketball team meant seeing a great number of seniors. Also, seeing two of our senior wrestlers go to the state tournament, along with many times of seeing some of these former stars at school got me thinking plenty early about this yearly column.
And I finally figured out one word to describe this group: loyal. I’ve rarely seen a group of students who stand by each other through thick and thin the way this class does. Now, I don’t know all the ins and outs of their social lives and what happens outside the school walls. But having known so many of them since even their elementary days, loyalty seemed like an apt theme.
Loyalty is an admirable trait and one that is sometimes hard to maintain. It might be hard to stay loyal to the Minnesota Vikings when they keep finding ways to let their fanbase down. You might graduate from one high school and then get married and live in a rival district. Can you remain loyal to your alma mater when your children are dressed in green instead of red for sports?
Even in the wider world, we don’t see many examples of loyalty. Politicians rip each other apart as they try to gain a party’s nod for a particular position. As soon as they lose though, the person they previously tore down becomes the greatest chance for change in the free world. Social media shows constant examples of people jumping ship from one viewpoint to another.
Change can be good, but at the same time frightening. Leaving high school and all your friends behind can be one of the most difficult transitions in a young person’s life. When you’re as tight as this group, that change has the potential to be especially challenging.
But then you can look at the loyalty of these kids to each other as a great advantage. Sure, many of them will be located hours apart, but with the technology we have today, that doesn’t mean much. The great friendships they have formed will provide a fabulous safety net if things get tough at the next stage of their lives, be it collge, the military, or the work force.
I recall in college having to worry about the long-distance bill. If I wanted to call my parents or my high school buddies, it was going to cost me. Now, that’s not a worry with cell phones and all the social media platforms. I think about how few of my high school friends I stay in regular contact with, outside of seeing and commenting on posts on Facebook, and grow sad. These were people who were important for so many years, but we have drifted apart. Kids today might end up having a much wider circle of friends since they will be better able to maintain that contact while also meeting new people after high school.
And our seniors will know that their friends from high school will be there for them, no matter what. What a comforting fact as you leave home and have to fend for yourself! I always find it fun to walk by the guidance office and see the postings of which seniors are going where. Yet, there are usually not more than two or three attending the same college. The graduates disperse around our state as well as Iowa, Wisconsin, and South Dakota, and sometimes other, even farther destinations. For many of these freshly-minted high school graduates, they will know very few people at their new location.
I hope our seniors can maintain their loyalty while expanding their horizons. As they meet new people, may they still keep in touch with the people that some of them have known since daycare. Those lifelong friendships are so valuable, and this group has shown a ferocity in defending their friends and standing strong together.
Best of luck to the Class of 2019 at NRHEG! I hope to see many of you before you head off into the sunset of high school. Don’t forget to stop by in the future and say hello when you’re back in town and stay loyal to Panther Nation, even if you end up living in Waterville or Mapleton some day!
Word of the Week: This week’s word is epistemophilia, which means an abnormal preoccupation with knowledge, as in, “The high school graduate knew she was infected with epistemophilia and planned on being a college student for as long as possible.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!