It’s said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, but some steps along the way are far more significant than others.

     Such are the steps being taken now by high school graduates across Lincoln County and the rest of the state. So significant are these steps that many consider this time the end of one journey and the start of a whole new adventure.

     “There is a good reason they call these ceremonies ‘commencement exercises,'” U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, once said. “Graduation is not the end; it’s the beginning.”

     Indeed, this year’s graduates are commencing a new journey as young adults who face an exciting world of opportunities ahead of them. Although their parents’ influence and help will still be present, each graduate will take on a much bigger role in charting his or her own future.

     During a series of ceremonies that began Friday night at Brookhaven Academy and will continue in the coming days at other local schools, graduates will no doubt reflect fondly on their years between kindergarten and their senior years. There will be many words of happiness for the good times, of sadness in memory of classmates lost or other tragedies, and of wisdom from speakers looking to provide guidance for the road ahead.

     Some speakers will wax poetic about days past while others will take a more philosophical approach. The sincere words will be well-received and provide insight on what lies ahead for graduates.

     However, at the end of the ceremonies – after the diplomas have been conferred and hats flung in the air – what lies ahead for graduates will ultimately be up to them. Whether they choose to continue their education at a college or university, pursue specialized training, enter directly into the world of work, or opt to follow some other avenue, the decision will be theirs.

     To the Class of 2012, congratulations as you conclude one of life’s great adventures and commence another.