Later in the ceremony, Red Hook Superintendent of Schools Paul Finch tried to impress upon the class both the challenges they will face and the advantages they will have compared to the generations that preceded them.
“You are competing against a much larger pool of people than my generation. You are going to need to be more flexible, learn to work unusual hours and to relocate often. You are going to need to be more creative developing new ideas and combining old ones in new ways,” said Finch.
“You are going to need to possess what some would call a cultural dexterity, the ability to move seamlessly between cultures,” Finch added. “This sounds daunting, but you have to look at the complete picture. Your generation will likely have a much richer life experience, and this is something to be very excited about.”
Parents then moved quickly to the chains on either side of the steps for a photograph or video of their son or daughter receiving their diploma. The proliferation of cell phones and digital cameras provided an opportunity to personally document the event in a way not available just a few years ago. As the portable lawn chairs were folded away and the crowd dispersed to celebrations planned throughout town, there remained the hope, as Finch said in his speech, that the new generation would find the solutions to problems that the current generation has yet to solve.
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