Wishing the Best to All East Hartford Graduates

Each year as spring turns to summer; East Hartford students of all ages are graduating from high schools and colleges and starting new adventures. This year our students are graduating both from higher education institutions like Goodwin College and from high schools like East Hartford High School, East Catholic, Synergy and the Connecticut IB Academy. We also have a great group of adult learners graduating from the Adult Education program, going forward with new skills and qualifications. And East Hartford is home to many more graduates from countless schools and institutions both near and far.

To the graduates, I would like to extend my heartiest congratulations on your achievements, my best wishes for your future endeavors, and a few words of encouragement as you embark on new paths of exploration and achievement. As you begin a new chapter, I advise you to keep three things in mind:

One, bring your community with you. East Hartford has nurtured you and shaped you, and the things you have learned and the connections you have made will serve you well in future experiences. You may not even recognize the full extent of how your community has prepared you to be a citizen of this country and this world for many years yet to come.

Two, always be open to experiencing and learning new things and creating opportunities to meet new people and explore this world. Your life will be immeasurably enriched by the new connections you make and the new experience you have. Regardless of where you are, there are always new places to explore and new ideas to encounter.

Three, don’t give up. Things may not come easily, and success may be illusive. You may stumble and fail, but always rise up. It is those experiences that will prove to be more valuable in the end.

East Hartford and the education our community provides has been in the news recently. I am certain you can guess my thoughts on this coverage, but I will not revisit those sentiments here. Instead I will simply say this: Your education and your experience have real value, and a value well beyond the skills you have learned or the achievements you have made. This value will only grow and be compounded by time, and I am sure you will often revisit and apply the lessons you learned here, wherever life takes you.

So, whether you are traveling to new places exploring new opportunities, or deepening your roots in East Hartford; whether you are entering (or reentering) the workforce, joining the Armed Forces, or continuing your education, I wish you the very best. Your contributions to our community and to the world are very valuable, and will continue to strengthen and enrich us for many years to come.

Congratulations on your accomplishments!