Fifty-one long years ago, I was exactly where members of the Class of 2021 are standing today. Each of you are in both a challenging and opportunistic position that will determine your destiny. The decisions you make or have already made will either thrust you forward into a successful future or condemn you to a life of mediocrity and failure. One of the most accomplished and prominent scholars, who I have had the privilege of befriending, once made the following statement in a speech: “Some people have a degree without an education and some have an education with a degree; then some people have both.” I hope that each of you in the Class of 2021 will be a part of the category of those who have a diploma and an education. If this is truly the case, your diploma and what you have learned for the past 12 years should qualify and assist you in taking the next step into a successful future.
The previous year has been one of the most difficult and challenging for students all over the nation. The pandemic has pushed teachers and students to the limit of their abilities respectively to instruct and to learn. Some of you have completed your senior year with face-to-face and virtual class settings. I want to submit these words of wisdom that I believe will greatly assist you in the steps you must take in order to succeed.

Choose Between
Three Options
Having earned a high school diploma has put you in a good position to choose between three professional or career options. First, you can go forward to the next level of educational pursuits. You can enroll in a college, university, or some technical school. Each of you must choose what is best or more suited for your particular abilities and ambitions. Do not set yourself up to fail by enrolling in a four-year college or university to earn a Bachelor of Science (BS) or Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree when a technical college can give you the training, skills, or degree of certification to get you to where you want to go.
Secondly, some of you are perhaps interested in a military career, whether short or extended. One of the great advantages of a military stint are the benefits and opportunities it will afford you, if you take advantage of them. Many have earned degrees and learned technical skills while in the military that served them well when they got out of the service. Finally, there is the option of getting a job. Since Purdue Farms and Harbor Freight Tools have raised their starting hourly wage for people who they hire, getting a job fresh out of high school is not a bad idea. Many are doing quite well without ever having earned a degree. If getting a job is an option, do not limit your search to our locale, but extend your pursuit to other cities in our region, state, and beyond.

Do Not Procrastinate nor Be Idle
The last advice I want to give to the members of the graduating Class of 2021 is two-fold and very important. First, if you expect to succeed and get on the right foot, you must make sure that you do not delay or put off the things that are necessary. Whatever choices you make or course you take, please do not procrastinate. Delay can be detrimental and lead to failing or not getting what you are after (whether you intend to go to college, the military, or get a job). If you are going to succeed in any area of meaningful pursuit, the sooner you get started, the better off you are going to be. Then by all means, to each member of the Class of 2021, I want to strongly advise you to not become a victim of idleness and laziness. I have watched so many young people over the years, who have fallen prey to idleness after they have gradated from high school with a legitimate diploma simply because they refused to go to college, join the military, or obtain gainful employment. Some of them became shiftless and ultimately a part of the riff-raff and scum of the community. Such people are usually the ones who make up the criminal element, who traffic drugs and who are involved in thievery and even gangs.
So, Class of 2021, I hope you make an impact on our culture and community in a positive and constructive way. If you put forth an effort, you can live up to what your families and teachers are expecting out of you. I will be praying and watching you!