With area graduations coming to a close, students will be heading off on their next journey — whether it be going straight into the workforce, heading off to a college or trade school, or perhaps joining the military.

The students graduating today will be tomorrow’s doctors, scientists, journalists and tradesmen. The choices they make today will shape our nation’s future.

Some local students are already making history, such as the work being done by recent Bucktail High School graduates Mattisyn Mason and Martin Lewis. Along with other students from the school’s Ecology class and Student Government, Lewis and Mason are aiming to change Pennsylvania history and advocate for a new state fossil — the Hynerpeton, which is unique to Pennsylvania.

Or, take a look at what the students at the KCSD Career and Technology Center have been up to. This year the school partnered with dozens of employers to offer valuable work experience to the dozens of students in the program.

All around our region, graduates are envisioning their futures and setting them in motion.

From Bellefonte’s graduating class, Haley Way is headed to the University of Pittsburgh to study molecular biology, while senior Carlee Rote plans to become a Game Warden, protecting Pennsylvania’s natural resources. Mary Dickman will attend the University of Chicago to major in sociolinguistic anthropology. Meanwhile, Alexis Eakin plans to study criminal justice at Commonwealth University-Lock Haven, and Gavin Clark will be serving in the U.S. Army.

Many more are still figuring things out — and that’s perfectly normal.

To the students, whatever your path, keep walking it.

The future will challenge and change you, but it will also open doors you never knew existed.

Life after graduation can feel uncertain and aimless at times, but don’t let that discourage you. That space is where growth begins.

The graduation stage isn’t the finish line — it’s a launching pad.

Graduates, we encourage you to chase your dreams. The opportunities for you are endless, no matter what path you choose to pursue.

Keep learning, do your best, have faith in yourself and don’t forget the community that helped shape you.

To the parents of these bright young minds, remember to give them the space to learn and grow.

Everything you’ve done for them has culminated in this moment. All the late nights helping them with last-minute projects, all the field trips and car rides to practices. You’ve done your best, now it’s their turn.

Don’t forget, the students of today are the leaders of tomorrow.