Today marks the beginning of an extra special season in our area: Graduation season. We would be remiss if we didn’t take a moment to congratulate all of this year’s graduates — college, high school, kindergarten — for their significant achievements.
Goshen College graduates will be the first this year to turn their tassels and launch their mortar boards toward the sky as 233 students will receive degrees at 3 p.m. today inside the Roman Gingerich Recreation-Fitness Center. British Bishop Simon Barrington-Ward will address those graduates. It is the 114th commencement for the college that graces Goshen’s southern entryway.
Earning a college degree is no small feat and has become increasingly necessary in our society to make a more comfortable living. According to a National Center for Education study, a person’s average annual median salary is significantly impacted by their level of education. For example, a high school graduate will earn a median average of $33,695 per year. Each degree attained after that raises the median average income, according to the study. The breakdown follows:
• Associate’s degree – $43,4555
• Bachelor’s degree – $56,415
• Master’s degree – $69,235
• Doctorate degree – $87,015
The report also estimates that bachelor’s degree holders will take home an average of 38 percent more salary than those with only a high school diploma. Those without a high school diploma are usually destined for minimum-wage level jobs as the prospects for employment are slim.
However, the value of a college education goes far beyond that of future earnings. College is about self-enrichment and discovery. It’s about building relationships and finding a voice. It’s about coming of age, a sense of belonging and perseverance.
On today’s front page you can read about Olga Rabchuk who came to Goshen from the Ukraine and began working full-time as a custodian at Goshen College. All the while Olga and her husband were raising two children. Through the years Olga has studied to become a nurse and will graduate today.
Let’s take stock in what Olga and GC’s other 232 graduates have accomplished in their academics and how it might enrich their lives moving forward. Education is a beautiful, empowering and continuous force that does not differentiate between “traditional” and “non-traditional” students. It’s there for all who choose to pursue it.
Take a bow, graduates, you’ve certainly earned it.
Opinion
Graduation season is an inspiring time
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