Those who've grown most may be recognized least

Published in the opinion page of the Holland Sentinel, the newspaper of Holland, Michigan.
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Holland — Life’s not fair, but watching Holland High’s commencement Monday, I thought for a moment that life had made an exception.

Lines of graduates of varying accomplishment strode in wearing identical red or white gowns. All wore the same square hats, so all looked equally silly. And on those hats ...

There life had me. Some graduates displayed multiple tassels; most had one. Some draped cords around their necks; most had none. A handful of names arose repeatedly, but most only heard their names while receiving their diploma covers.

And so it struck me that if my own two recent graduations were at all representative, the graduates who’d grown most were being recognized least.

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