Celebrating the achievements of young Valley residents

IT’S A CELEBRATORY TIME as Valley seniors will begin graduating from area high schools, many of them adorned with honor cords and a select few distinguished as valedictorians and salutatorians. While we are proud of all the graduates who will finish their high school education as honors students, we also want to congratulate those young people who found a way to overcome obstacles and hardships in their lives to make it across the stage to receive their diplomas. We have also been cheering on several high school spring sports teams as they compete in the WPIAL playoffs. Throughout the spring, we saw hundreds of students excel onstage and in the wings during outstanding musical productions, and others did the same in a variety of academic competitions. Many students from Valley high schools rose to the height of compassion by staging fundraisers for many causes. Every day, we have featured stories about our local students who earned the prestigious awards, scholarships and other honors. The list goes on. Every generation of teens is shaped by the social, political and economic events of the day. Today’s teenagers are no different — and they’re the first generation whose lives are saturated by mobile technology and social media. Despite so many obstacles, we see young people achieving so much and working hard to pursue their dreams. We will never turn down an opportunity to showcase the talents and hard work of our young people. We’re rooting for all the young people out there who are embarking on the next chapter of their lives. As a publication committed to delivering all the news we can to our readers, we sometimes print stories about young people who get in trouble. More often, though, the news about children is positive in nature. By and large, kids are good, honest and caring, and we are always happy to tell you about them. Congratulations to the new graduates; good luck in your future endeavors and strive for success in all you do.