EDITORIAL

The pictures told the story.

There were tears. There were smiles. There was exaltation. There was

relief.

Across Newport-Mesa on Thursday, our high school seniors took the

first of many big steps in their lives as they moved their tassels and

graduated. Each one deserves all the congratulations possible, whether

they slugged it out for four years or sailed on through. They deserve a

little time to relax, too, if only because graduating high school is far

from the ending it may feel like now.

Yes, here it comes: Grabbing that diploma is only the beginning.

Just what it is the beginning of is up to each graduate. More school?

It’s a path many will take, of course. Getting a job? It’s hard to resist

the promise of a paycheck. Or maybe what’s on their minds the most is

just how to spend their last summer as kids. And what better place to do

it than here?

But those decisions, ultimately, aren’t the ones that really matter.

The important ones are about how to live, who to be friends with, who to

fall in love with. We hope our students, with the support and love of

family, friends and the community, feel prepared to make those choices.

For years, we all have watched as our graduates grew, as they

succeeded and as they, at times perhaps, failed. Their next choices and

their next steps won’t be under the same watchful eyes, and as much as

that can be liberating, it also can be terrifying. The mistakes can

really turn into mistakes now. The successes, well trust us, they only

become sweeter.

But there will be enough time to worry about the next days, months and

years. Trust us again, the future is a serious matter. So, for now, enjoy

what you’ve earned and have fun.