“Kids these days (fill in the blank with some negative statements) …” is a bone of contention with me. If you are wondering what kids are up to these days, I encourage you to look at your local public school because I guarantee there are amazing students doing impressive things. On June 26, we are celebrating over 100 students at Southwestern that are graduating with their high school diploma. “What’s the big deal?” some people say. “The kids are just doing the bare minimum of what they are supposed to do. When I was their age, I walked uphill both ways in 6 feet of snow!”

Yes, school looks different than it did years ago. If it didn’t that would be terrible – effective schools change with the times. Southwestern looks forward to making even more changes as we evaluate graduation pathways and the Portrait of a Graduate implementation. The New York State Portrait of a Graduate emphasizes students will need to demonstrate a level of proficiency in the following areas: “Reflective and Future Focused, Academically Prepared, Creative Innovator, Critical Thinker, Effective Communicator, and a Global Citizen”. These attributes were determined based on workforce data – what do high school graduates need to demonstrate in order to be successful in work or higher education? Along with many school districts in Western New York, Southwestern has begun the work to improve our programming to help students meet these criteria. Working with our community, we aim to tailor our education services to meet the needs of our community and the world around us.

Going back to the Southwestern Class of 2026, I’d like to highlight some of their achievements. About 68% of our graduates earned some college credit while in high school. We have students who have earned enough college credit through high school, they could graduate with a bachelor’s degree up to a year and a half early. We have students that aren’t just earning their Regents Diploma; they are also earning a Career and Technical Education certification and are ready to work in areas such as cosmetology, the health field, construction, and auto mechanics. We have students who are earning credentials such as the Seal of Biliteracy, the Seal of Civic Readiness, and the Individual Arts Assessment Pathway. These kids decided to go above and beyond to specialize in a certain area such as world languages or the arts. There are Southwestern Class of 2026 graduates that are State Champions in Athletics, have won prestigious awards for art or music, and have served their community through Student Council or Honor Society. And we have some students who hold down jobs, help their families, and still do what they need to in school to graduate on time. Some students are facing tremendous challenges outside of school; showing up to get their work done is a victory in and of itself.

Hands down, High School Graduation is my favorite day of the year at school. One day, I had the privilege to observe a kindergarten classroom, where kids were learning how to sound out three-letter words, and then later observe a senior English class where students were participating in debates and presentations about high level real-world problems. It was awe inspiring to see what public schools do every day, and the progress our students make over the years. Kudos to all staff members over the years who tirelessly work to get our students ready to graduate. And most importantly, congratulations to the Class of 2026! I am proud to be a public-school educator and can’t wait to see what you accomplish in the next chapter of your life.

Molly Moore is superintendent of the Southwestern Central School District.