Graduating seniors have the gift of time to make their mark on the world

class with a teacher there to explain ideas and answer questions.

While sharing this concern, I found solace and even appreciation in knowing this: On a global scale, the education we receive, even online, is some of the best in the world. While not customary in developed nations, the access we have to this online education is a privilege that hundreds of millions of children around the world do not enjoy. To students not graduating this year, remember that distance learning is new to students and teachers alike and as with all things will get better over time.

To seniors like myself who are moving on to some form of higher education, whether it be trade school or college, rather than lament this abrupt ending, look forward to the journey to come.

A great deal of sympathy and energy has been given to the Class of 2020. From virtual ceremonies hosted by schools to commencement speeches from high-profile celebrities like basketball great LeBron James and former President Barack Obama, the effort to compensate our class is immense. These efforts are, without a doubt, appreciated, as keeping spirits high during these trying times is as vital to our mind as masks are to our health, but I can’t help wondering if there isn’t somewhere else we could focus our energy.

As young people, we have a great gift — time. The places we will go, the things we will invent, the stories we will tell, all lie ahead. No time could be more urgent for a group of intelligent and ambitious minds to be going out into the world, learning and doing the things that pull us to a brighter tomorrow. And while we wait for a time when no service will be nonessential, and no distance will be between us, we cannot allow these lost moments to divert our gaze from the future.

Courtesy photo Chase Taylor: “We cannot allow these lost moments to divert our gaze from the future.”