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Graduates look forward to future
This year, close to 3,000 students graduated from Loudoun County schools.
With their lives ahead of them, they are excited by the chance to make their mark on the world, but are at times wary of the unknown.
For some, this summer will be the last they will spend with hometown friends. For others, they will have the opportunity to stay close and keep in touch nearly every day.
The graduates come from public high schools, private schools and home schools. As they move on to college, careers, technical school, military service or whatever they have chosen as their next step, they will take what they have learned throughout their years of education here and apply it to the challenges and experiences they encounter in the future.
At Briar Woods High School's graduation ceremony June 17, Superintendent Edgar Hatrick offered the following advice to the class of 2008:
"Throughout your life, remember all that you have been given by family, by friends, by your community. Take it upon yourself to plan moments in your lifetime in which you will enrich the lives of others who come after you. Please don't ever forget the foundation that you have been given. Devote a significant portion of your lives to helping others as you have been helped."
In their own words:
The Times-Mirror talked to a sampling of 2008 Loudoun graduates about their plans for the future and their feelings about life's next big step.
Brooke Breedan, 17
Briar Woods High School
Future plans: Playing basketball at the Indiana Institute of Technology
"I'm really excited. Everybody at Briar Woods is really excited. I hear a lot of kids from other schools say that they're so sad and all that, but at Briar Woods we're a small group and we've just had it with each other. It will be better in college because it's so different from Ashburn. It'll help me get some new experiences."
Emily Hall, 17
Home-schooled, Purcellville
Future plans: Major in journalism or strategic intelligence at Patrick Henry College
"I kind of feel like I'm too young to graduate. I still feel like a kid. It's kind of a scary feeling. I am pretty excited about going to Patrick Henry though. They have so many great majors there. It is going to be hard work. Nobody said it's going to be easy."
Daniel Lee, 18
Stone Bridge High School
Future plans: Major in mathematics or engineering at Radford University
"It's unbelievable that it's actually happening. I can't believe it's over already. High school has flown by. I will miss high school, but I'm really looking forward to college much more than I thought I would be. I'm happy that I'm headed out into the real world."
Freedom High School
Future plans: Pursue a degree in education at Northern Virginia Community College for two years, then transfer to Virginia Tech
"I'm excited to graduate, but at the same time I like all my teachers and I don't want to leave my friends behind. I love high school. I love learning and I really love this school. I'll definitely come back to visit."
Danny Foley, 17
Park View High School
Future plans: Play on a basketball scholarship at Virginia Wesleyan College
"I had such a great four years at Park View. I am going to miss it a lot. It hasn't really kicked in yet that it's over. I am nowhere near ready, but I think in college I will grow up a lot and mature and then I will be ready to take on the real world."
Connor Albright, 18
Home-schooled, Round Hill
Future plans: Attend Grove City College and major in electrical engineering
"I've been home-schooled all my life. It will be weird to be away. The longest I've been away from home was for three weeks last summer. But I am ready. It's just the next step in my life. I know several adults who graduated from Grove City College, and I heard glowing reviews from everybody. I was really impressed by the atmosphere there."
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