Message to Class of 2017

The Record (Hackensack, N.J.): Commencement season is coming to an end at colleges, universities and high schools. For the class of 2017, these are challenging times.

Earlier generations faced the possibilities of the military draft and the impending fear of a nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union. While global tensions are on the rise, most young citizens are not worried about being sent into combat. Employment possibilities are greater now than they were during the throes of the Great Recession.

So things are good? Yes. But things should be better. And they get that way only when a new generation picks up the torch from the previous one.

DON’T BE SHORTSIGHTED

Graduates often see the immediate future – getting jobs, moving out on their own, maybe starting families. This is all part of growing into adulthood. But class of 2017, you need to see the importance of growing into citizenship – now more than ever.

So we tell the class of 2017, put down the phone and stop with the selfies and focus on community engagement. Embrace your friends now, because they are precious and youth is fleeting. But embrace the experiences ahead. Reach out to people who do not look like you, think like you or talk like you, because that is where the adventures are hidden.