The 2024-25 school year is nearing its end. High schools throughout our region are preparing for graduation and this month will see all of our local colleges and universities send thousands of young men and women into the workforce.

As we look back at the school year, it’s amazing to ponder all the excellent work our local students accomplish. From state championship athletic teams to academic achievers to exceptional musical talent to nationally acclaimed speech and debate programs, it’s true our local youth are set to do many wonderful things in the future.

We’ve been proud to chronicle those achievements in the pages of our newspaper and on our website over the past eight months. In considering where we’ve been this year, it’s amazing to think of the talent on display

Consider some of the happenings in recent weeks:

∫ Students at Wheeling Park High School put on the annual Park spring musical, a three-day event that showcased incredible vocal and acting talent;

∫ Wheeling Park High School speech team senior Kelsey Holeczy recently finished sixth at a national competition;

∫ Students (and faculty) at The Linsly School put on the annual Linsly Extravaganza, a wonderful year-end performance at the Capitol Theatre.

∫ Students at Sherrard Middle School finished first and second at this year’s West Virginia History Bowl. Sherrard’s Team 2 — Brady Barnhart, Drew Marling, Abby Allman, and Griffin Sturgill — topped Team 1 — Kabe Blake, Colsen McCutcheon, Izzie Dougherty and Chloe Weekley — in the finals.

∫ Wheeling Central Catholic High School senior Luke Tiu was named one of five Foundation Scholars at West Virginia University, the university’s most prestigious award for incoming freshmen;

∫ On the college front, six local students were named Outstanding seniors at West Virginia University: Natalie Keim, Glen Dale; Madalena Daugherty, Weirton; Lauren Marquart, Triadelphia; Madison Morgan, Wheeling; John Pino, Weirton; and Ella Dietz, Weirton.

There are so many others to note — music and choir students who today week will be performing at Wheeling Park’s Festival of Spring; our spring sports teams that are preparing for state tournament runs; youngsters who are getting ready to graduate high school with a skill in hand to enter the workforce.

It’s become easy for society to look at this generation of youth and think they’re not ready for what’s to come. We disagree. Many of our youth are ready to tackle the future and make their mark.

That’s surely worth celebrating.