Congratulations to the Class of 2016!

Over the past week, hundreds of the best and brightest the Mat-Su has to offer have taken their first exciting steps into the future. In the pages of today’s edition, we’ve included stories from just a few of the amazing members of the graduating class of 2016, and we’ve also provided readers with a list of all area high school grads. This is our way of recognizing and honoring the achievements of our most previous and valuable resource, our kids, and we hope you enjoy this special edition.

High school graduation season is always a bittersweet time for parents and teachers, who get to proudly watch their children march confidently across the stage toward adulthood while simultaneously reflecting on the hard work and dedication it took to get there. It’s a time of great joy and anticipation for all involved, serving as both a coronation and confirmation of a job well done.

We wish to express our congratulations to local graduates for their achievements; completing this goal is something to be proud of, and we’re proud of each and every one of the nearly 1,200 members of the Mat-Su Borough School District’s graduating class of 2016.

Graduates are likely to hear lots of advice in the coming days and weeks about how they should go about conquering “the real world” that’s now before them. Some of this advice will be good, some won’t; some will be heeded, some ignored. That’s the nature of youth — and of advice.

That said, we’d like to offer our own words of wisdom to this year’s graduates:

Enjoy yourselves.

Life is a short, wild ride, one that doesn’t come with an instruction manual or even rules. Sure, you’ve got to follow your conscience and the law, but as for how you choose to play the game, that’s entirely up to you. Our advice to this year’s graduates is to make the most of every opportunity that comes before you and to trust yourself to make the right decisions based on what works for you. Life is far too short and much too precious to waste time getting wrapped up in worry and stress.

Spend your time wisely and with purpose, but make sure you’re always keeping the big picture in sight and holding those things dear that are truly meaningful to you. Make time for family and friends, use your free time wisely and never take yourself too seriously. While it may seem as if there’s an entire world of time ahead of you, those years will continue to shorten as your journey continues. Always remember that it’s important to have fun along the way.

We’re excited to see the amazing achievements the Class of 2016 has in store, and we can’t wait to get to know the incredible adults who will help lead our Valley into the future. We’re truly honored to have so many outstanding young people living in our community, and to see so many excited faces at local graduations this past week has truly warmed our hearts. Congratulations from all of us here at the Frontiersman, and good luck.

Finally, don’t forget to check in from time to time — we can’t wait to tell your success stories in the coming years! In the words of Garrison Keillor: “Be well, do good work and keep in touch.”