Class of '06 is a new genre of knowledge

The class of 2006 is a new generation with a whole new genre of knowledge. Sure they come away from their 13 years of schooling with an education in math, literature, science and history. But they also have a technical vocabulary and computer literacy that didn't even exist when their parents graduated.

They have come through the same teenage struggles as every class before them ? perhaps enough tougher ones than generations before them. And while technological advances have helped make many things easier for them, it was also a whole vast knowledge they had to soak up to survive ? skills that will be crucial to make it in the world today.

But as we've watched them say goodbye to their formative years and embrace their future over the past several days, it is clear this generation of students has more to offer than knowing the ins-and-outs of Google, the best strategies for games on an Xbox or PlayStation 2, or the best model iPod to get.

We know better than that, because it's these very students who have been chronicled on our pages during their high school lives.

They are fledgling artists, scientists, physicians, politicians, chefs, writers, engineers and nurses whose stories never get old, and whose dreams and ambitions are inspiring.

And we already know this is a pretty resilient bunch.

These students have honed their skills, created their dreams and ambitions and simply grown up during some challenging times. The graduates receiving their diplomas in recent days were freshman not long after one of the darkest days in American history, and they've grown up against a backdrop of a world at war. Yet, they've come through these troubling times, along with the perennial challenges of teenage years, to offer hope in a better future.

As they prepare for wherever life takes them, we hope that the chaotic world outside of high school never dilutes the smiles and dreams on display in recent days.

It won't be easy. But if graduation means anything, it means that you can move forward, learn from mistakes and persevere, even when times aren't so great. It means there's a future to look forward to. It may not be easy to see. But it's out there, and the class of 2006 should have its fingerprints all over it.

Here's to hoping they find that future and maintain the courage to dream big, even when the world makes them feel small. Making those dreams reality will make the world and our communities better places.