Column: Life has given you a second chance, don’t squander it

By Dan Kontos

I had the pleasure of attending the 2024 graduation ceremony at the Charles F. Fernandez Center, also known as the CFC. If you’re not familiar with it, this is the alternative learning center for the Stevens Point School District.

Serving shy of 100 students annually in grades 11 and 12, the CFC offers credit recovery options for students to earn over 23 credits towards their high school diploma and individualizes programming to best meet each students’ needs. They also have a GED Option program for other individuals as needed.

To be frank, the CFC was developed to help those students who have significant struggles getting through their final years of high school. The Stevens Point Area Senior High (SPASH) can be an intimidating place, especially for those who don’t thrive in a traditional educational environment.

On May 23 of this year, 58 students graduated high school through the CFC (the most ever), and received their diplomas attesting to their work. This was a feat that many doubted, often including the students themselves. However, no one gave up on these graduates.

They each faced their own difficulties, challenges, setbacks, and pitfalls. With a little individual attention, a forgiving attitude, and some understanding and direct guidance, these kids (yes, I called them kids) made it across the finish line.

Many are now ready to move forward with their lives. While the majority are hitting the workforce, others are going into vocational training, or specialized educational programs to allow them to live their lives.

Parents sat in the audience, along with grandparents, siblings, friends, aunts, and uncles. They were joined by teachers, counselors, and other staff who never gave up on them, and repeatedly pointed the way to the finish line. The satisfaction from these cheerleaders was palpable.

Now let me address the new graduates. First and foremost, congratulations on your accomplishment. I know it wasn’t easy, what you imagined, or even pleasant at times, but it’s done. Now it’s time to move forward.

All those people who helped you get here, they did so because they cared. You may have doubted that at times, even lashed out because of your own personal demons or fears, but had they not stuck with you, you would have failed. Dropped out to face the world without your latest accomplishment which was presented to you on that stage.

Moving forward, the world will not be so accommodating. You’re not treated as a kid anymore. More will be expected of you because you have more inside of you just waiting to shine. You may still carry your baggage, as we all do, but now you have proven that your burden will not stop you.

Our community believed in you and gave you a second chance through the CFC. Don’t blow it. Find your niche, your skill, your purpose, and drive forward. You already know some of the opportunities that await you and know that other openings will surely come along. Never stop striving, learning, and believing. Your destiny on this earth is a wonderful adventure that proves the joy of life is the journey, not the final endpoint.

This doesn’t mean that you are on your own. To the contrary. Those same people who helped guide you, pushed you, and maybe even pulled you across the finish line will still be there, even if just in spirit. Make them proud, pay them back with what you can, never forget, and even ask for advice — even if you don’t really need it. The best way to show your appreciation for all they have done is to show them what you can be.

Now, be strong, be determined, be smart, be safe, and be yourself. Life awaits, don’t squander this second chance.

So, with that, let’s meet in the opinion section to talk about all of it boldly, honestly, with an appreciation for all of our different missteps and our achievements in life, and with a healthy respect for each other. Until then, remember that God loves you, and so do I.