Awards are a beginning

Monday night was a celebration of Jay County’s future.
Sure, not every young person honored at Jay County High School’s honors night will establish a business or enterprise right here at home.
But some of them will.
And all of them have the potential to make us proud.
Honors night may seem to the students — and even their parents — as a final milestone.
It’s not.
It simply marks the beginning of a new journey.
Cool as the honors received last night may be, their real importance comes when they are translated into accomplishments in the years ahead.
Win the Bausch and Lomb Science Award? Cool. But even cooler is when you translate that ability into a scientific or engineering or medical achievement.
Win an award for your skill in foreign languages? Cool. But even cooler is when you put those language skills to use in business or government service and change the world.
Win a scholarship? Wonderful. But what would be even more wonderful would be for you to complete your degree, find your place in the world and make a difference.
At the time, honors night may seem like the capstone, the end of an academic career.
But it’s not.
It is the beginning.
Our message to every single student who received an award last night is simple: This is not the end. It is the beginning.
Make the most of it. — J.R.