Congratulations Graduates!

As the school year draws to a close, our many programs begin the transitions of summer. Each of the children we serve will experience a commencement this year; for many, it will be a traditional graduation from high school, middle school, elementary school or even kindergarten. For others, their commencement will be less traditional; some of the children we serve will be taking the summer off before mainstreaming into less restrictive educational settings. Others are achieving goals academically or personally that allow them to commence working at another level within their current program. Still others are graduating from probationary programs within the court systems, or moving into permanent living situations, either on their own or in subsidized or supported housing programs. We even have young women in our parenting program for whom the summer will mark the commencement of parenthood. For each of these young people, and for those who care for them, their graduation into what is next will be a watershed moment, a moment they will be able to look back on for the rest of their lives and feel proud of. I am extraordinarily proud of each of the children in our programs, of their successes and their struggles and their courage in the face of their challenges. As part of the Sunny Hills community, please join me as I say to each of them: congratulations!