Graduation season is and always will be one of my favorite times of the year. It is such a joy to see the smiles on the faces of the graduates as they cross the stage. 

As I shook hundreds of hands again this year, I tried to stop as many graduates as I could and ask about their cords or medals they were wearing or what plans they had after graduation. Upon reflection, it occurred to me that each one of them has a story. And each story is different.  

So often, we get caught up in the traditional avenue of what success looks like: graduating and going to a good college. But there are so many pathways to success, and the hundreds of graduates whom I have shaken hands with over the past couple of weeks have reminded me of that.  

Many graduates finished high school with a diploma and a trade certificate. I spoke to numerous graduates who were dual-enrolled in a career and technical education program while attending high school. The programs included welding, electrical, diesel mechanics and medical assisting. All of them are great and lucrative options as these young adults enter the workforce. 

Other students walked across the stage with not only a diploma but also an AA degree, having been dual-enrolled in college while attending high school. This is an enormous feat for these kids to accomplish, and now they are guaranteed admission to many of the universities in our state. 

Many students were headed to our local colleges instead of our ever more selective state universities.  

There were also many students who were headed to the military to bravely serve our country. Apopka High School had its largest number of students enlist this year: 31. This decision always moves me. When I look into the eyes of a young adult who is so confident in their strength of character, their pride is something to behold. 

Of course, there are those students who were very decorated with cords and medals and are headed to a top university. OCPS turns out numerous university-bound students, and we are certainly proud of the grit and determination those students show as well. 

But it is the other students I mention who often seem to walk in the shadow of these graduates that I want us to think about. We have for so long told our children that a four-year university is the next “best” step in the journey after high school. That model doesn’t work for many kids, especially now as universities have become so selective and difficult to get into. 

It’s time that our expectations catch up to this reality, and it’s time that we let our kids know. We have to tell our kids that it is all right to choose the path that is best for them. It’s time that we celebrate a child when they find a passion and a way to make a living doing it, no matter how they get there.  

I am so proud that OCPS has embraced this mindset and has opened up the world of possibilities to our children. Let’s be sure that we are supportive of all the choices that our children have ahead of them. 

Congratulations to the Class of 2026!