Congratulations to the High School Graduating Class of 2020!

To the high school graduating class of 2020,

Congratulations! You did it! Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, you still got your diploma. You should be very proud of yourself. You did what you needed to do in order to obtain your education. Your resilience is one factor that will carry you far in life.

If you're feeling some uncertainty, I want you to know that it's okay. Even though that you are graduating during a time of great uncertainty, there is always going to be uncertainty in life. What is important is that you have the courage and skills to face this uncertainty head on throughout your life. You might as well get used to navigating through uncertainty now.

If you're feeling weary with the social unrest regarding institutional racism, all the issues that comes with it, and the feelings of living in this society, I want you to know that it's okay to feel that way. It means that you're a decent human being. With the knowledge and skills you have built from your schooling, you can help make things better. You can work for social change and make things the right way for the right reasons.

I do want to leave you with some words of wisdom.

My first piece of advice is to be flexible. This has served me well throughout the years no matter what job I had. In every position I had, I needed to adapt to my responsibilities, the environments that I was placed in, and all the various people I worked with. If I was stuck in my ways and didn't adapt, I would have had a hard time managing my responsibilities and would have a miserable time doing it. It's intentional hard work. Whenever I got stressed out or struggled, I had to remind myself to be flexible. Even today, I still have to be flexible. How else would I be able to still be an educator in the time of COVID-19 and distance learning? Being flexible is one of the characteristics that saved me throughout adulthood because I use it to adapt to whatever life throws at me.

My second piece of advice: be persistent. Persistence will carry you through challenges to get you through to your goals. It's what got you to the end of high school. Your persistence will help you get through this pandemic. Your persistence will get you through whatever challenges and obstacles life throws at you.

Lastly, I want to tell you to always be learning. Your learning doesn't end here or at the end of college. It's a process that you will have throughout your lifetime. There will always be more to learn, and as time passes, there will be new concepts to explore. Even for me, I'm always learning new things, new ideas, and new skills. I’ve had to learn to keep up to date on current events, trends, and technology. It's not just adapting to changing times, but also growing as an individual. As you go on in your life, you will be continuing to grow both personally and professionally. Don't turn your brain off, keep it open.

I wish you all the best. Keep on being magnificent, and always be awesome. Congratulations again, Class of 2020 graduates!

Roderick Conwi is the Executive Editor at Nourishment Notes. He is also the author of The Procrastinator's Quick Guide To Getting It Done. To get powerful insights that enhance your day, join his free newsletter.