Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

On Friday night, you achieved likely one of your largest goals to date.

After 13-plus years of attending school, learning new information, taking tests and ultimately passing classes, you did it — you graduated.

You stuck with it through the highs and lows, through the challenges that came along with learning during and after the pandemic, and through the difficulties that face youth growing up in today’s world.

As you move forward in the coming months, remember that the actions you take in the next few years will impact the rest of your life. Whether it’s educational or job pursuits or other choices surrounding relationships, it will change the trajectory of your future.

We hope you will always remember where you came from and that you have warm memories of your time in Albert Lea.

While there’s always room for improvement, we hope you will look back and see all the great things that the community has to offer. Yes, it has some things it still needs to work on, but it has many other wonderful things happening, too.

When times are tough, remember there are others in this community rooting for you and cheering you on. We want to see you succeed and look forward to hearing stories of Albert Lea graduates who have gone on to achieve great things.

To those of you who are leaving Albert Lea to attend college, we wish you nothing but the best and remind you that you are always welcome here.

To those of you who will be staying in Albert Lea to attend Riverland Community College or to work, we are happy you are here, too.

We encourage you to do your best to get involved in the community and to make an effort to find a way to give back in honor of those who helped guide you during your formative years.

Congratulations, and we hope your best days are yet to come.