Graduates Triumph Over Life Struggles
Graduation Sunday at Boys Town is one of my favorite days of the year.
On May 23, I watched with pride as 92 boys and girls walked across the stage to receive their high school diploma from Boys Town High SchoolSM. It was an accomplishment many, including the graduates themselves, thought might never be possible.
Our graduates overcame enormous obstacles and times of self-doubt to proudly hold their diploma in their hands. Before coming to Boys Town, many had suffered terrible abuse and neglect. Most were failing or had fallen behind in school. Some let their lives be controlled by drugs and alcohol, and had been in jail for criminal behavior. Most did not practice their religion and some had stopped believing in God. Almost all of them had given up on themselves because they believed everyone had given up on them.
But they did it. Against all odds, they did it and that’s something to inspire all of us!
Three members of the Boys Town class of 2010 – Karly, Maya and Taylor – received remarkable scholarships to Creighton University in Omaha where they plan to continue their education and pursue their dreams. When you read their stories and understand the progress they made at Boys Town, it will bring smile to your face and a tear to your eye.
Parents across the country are celebrating their own children’s graduation. I had the joyous experience of graduating 92 seniors. Boys Town has given these graduates the skills and the foundation they need for a healthy, productive future. We hope and pray they will use what they’ve learned at Boys Town to build a good life.
Join with me in wishing all graduates across the country a well-deserved congratulations!
