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Our View: Grads, seniors can integrate

As our young people celebrate the end of 13 years of schooling and move on to the next phase of their lives, it’s a good time to look at what they’ll be facing as they move forward.

This generation of youth has, like no other before it, the option of easily investigating countless options for education, careers, leadership and volunteer opportunities at home and abroad.

Technology has created a database of information that can place students thousands of kilometres away, to a village in Africa, a museum in Paris, or a university campus in Montreal, Ottawa or Boston. It can also give a first glimpse into some terrific local opportunities, in advance of sitting down for conversations with people who can help make those dreams and goals a reality.

For students who have already chosen an initial pathway, we congratulate you and wish you well on the start of this journey.

To those people, and the youth who haven’t yet charted a course, we encourage you to ask more questions, keep learning in your own way and don’t hesitate to take action that you believe will make a difference in the world.

With all the promise and inspiration of graduation, moving into young adulthood isn’t easy, even for gifted individuals.

Which leads us to point out that as grad celebrations happen around the region this week, senior citizens are being fêted across the province during B.C. Seniors Week.

Most of our elders were once graduating high schoolers and along the way have accumulated knowledge and wisdom, good information to pass along to younger generations.

We encourage graduating youth – those with a plan and those without – to have a chat with a senior in their family, an elderly acquaintance or even someone you don’t know at all yet, and remember to listen with both ears. It’d be a good investment in yourself as you start your journey into adulthood.