If you’ve received an email from me recently, you may have noticed that I sign my messages with the phrase, “Be Inspired.” As our schools, communities, families and friends celebrate milestones this time of year, I can think of no better message to share, especially with graduates.
Southwest Initiative Foundation (SWIF) has a vested interest in each and every young person graduating in our region. After all, a key area of our work through the Early Childhood Initiative focuses on getting our youngest children ready to learn and succeed in life. High School graduation is a way to mark that these children HAVE succeeded in a very big way. But, their learning and their success doesn’t stop here.
As I look to these students—and college graduates connected to our region, too—I see our future. These young people are going to be our future workforce. They’re our future community leaders and volunteers. I’m excited and hopeful for our future because of them. But our job as nurturing families and community members doesn’t stop here, either.
It’s our shared responsibility to make sure our young people know what the region has to offer. Great job opportunities, vibrant communities and a quality of life that they will have a hard time matching ANYWHERE in the country. Have you ever shared with your children, grandchildren or other young people in your life why you chose to live in southwest Minnesota? It’s a story they should hear. It’s a story that could inspire them to stay or come back, which is important to all of us.
As we celebrate our amazing young people throughout the region, let’s remember that we’re never too old to be inspired…or to be an inspiration ourselves.
Congratulations, southwest Minnesota graduates!
