In an extraordinary time of need for so many, I wanted to take just a moment today to celebrate the many 12th graders in our program, and across the country, who learned where they were admitted to college this past weekend.

The Class of 2020 will likely be deprived of many of the regular, Spring rituals that we bestow upon our youth. They won’t enjoy the excitement and glamour of Prom; they won’t experience the proud thrill of accepting a diploma and walking across a grand stage to the sound of Pomp and Circumstance and applause; they will be denied a proper high school (or college) send-off as they’ll likely experience their last moments of high school from their laptop in their living room.

So, I’m taking a break this morning to extend my heartfelt congratulations to our many seniors, and to all seniors (and their families).

These kids deserve our congratulations. In fact, I think many of them need it.

I say this humbly as I do realize that in the grand scheme of things there are bigger problems. People are getting sick and dying; children are going hungry; business owners are facing difficult choices as expenses mount but revenues evaporate; wage-earners are losing their jobs. And all of us, regardless of our circumstances, deal with the fear of getting sick.

But I’m a hopeful person, and regardless of our place or position in life I know that our living experience is richer when we can mark our moments of joy, success and triumph with celebration.

These are not easy times, and none of us alive today can recall a similar period of mass, social isolation where we voluntarily grind our economy and a large slice of our society to a halt. For our children it’s even worse, and I especially feel for those students graduating this year, both from high school and college who will not have the opportunity to mark this moment with a proper celebration.

At some point this strict social distancing is all going to end, and we will return to stadiums, concert halls, places of worship and theaters. Schools will fill up again, offices will bustle with activity, the courts will reopen, and airports will come alive again with travelers scrambling to find their gates. I’ve heard people say that things will forever be changed, and indeed some behaviors or activities may permanently change. But the human spirit is strong and lasting.

Receiving an email from a student who was admitted to college, and feeling her excitement from her written word, is an experience that offers hope, which I’m happy to pass along.

And so, I hope you’ll join me in congratulating the Class of 2020. Below are some of the schools where our students were admitted. All credit goes to them for their success.

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American University, Arizona State, Army, Arkansas Baptist, Baylor, Belmont, Boston U, Brandeis, Brown, Butler, Caltech, Carnegie Mellon University, Clark Atlanta, Columbia, Dartmouth, Delaware Valley, Drexel, Duke, Elon, Embry-Riddle, Emerson, Emory University, Flagler College, Florida A&M, Florida Atlantic University Florida Gulf Coast, Florida International University, Florida Southern, Florida State, Fordham, Georgetown, George Washington University, Georgia Tech, Hampton, Harvard, High Point, Howard, Hunter College, Indiana University, Iowa State, Lafayette, Liberty, Long Island University, Louisiana State University, Lynn University, Marymount Manhattan, Michigan State, Montclair State, Morehouse, Morgan State, Muhlenberg, Niagara, North Carolina A&T, North Carolina Central, Nova Southeastern University, Ohio State, Ohio Wesleyan University, Pace, Philander Smith College, Purdue University, Rhodes College, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rollins College, St Augustine College, Seton Hall, Shaw University, Skidmore, Smith, Stetson, Swarthmore, Tennessee Tech, University of Arizona, University of Central Florida, University of Chicago, University of Connecticut, University of Florida, University of Georgia, University of Idaho, University of Illinois, University of Maine, University of Maryland, University of Maryland Baltimore County, University of Miami, University of Michigan, University of North Florida, University of South Florida, University of Tampa, University of Texas-Dallas, US Military Academy, Vanderbilt, Virginia Commonwealth University, Wellesley, Wisconsin, Xavier LA, Yale