Graduation is always an exciting time of the year for me. I was so ready to finish my senior year and get on with life.

Over the past few weeks, the Chieftain has run a number of scholarship announcements. I thought about adding them all up at one point, but ran out of time.

The amount is significant.

Yet, it’s even more daunting to realize that even with thousands of dollars in their accounts, some of these students will emerge from college four years from now with considerable student loan debt.

I’m going to age myself here, but one solid $1,000 scholarship would have paid a full year of tuition when I was a college student in the late-70s.

I worked a full-time job in addition to attending class full-time and actually emerged from college with money in a savings account.

How things have changed.

I was listening to a podcast recently in which the author was making the point that student loan debt has become a drag on our economy. Students who owe $30,000 and much more don’t jump into big-ticket purchases, meaning fewer cars are sold, fewer houses are sold … you get the idea.

That was the argument when it was suggested a few years ago that the federal government simply forgive all student loans.

I was a bit taken aback by that when it was originally discussed from a personal responsibility point of view, but after listening to this latest take on the topic, edged closer to seeing the light. Talk about economic stimulus.

IT WAS with a bit of sadness last week that I heard the news about the resignation of Bret Uptmor as Wallowa Supt. of Schools. I have enjoyed my association with Bret over the past year.

The first time I stopped out to see him, he was taking playground duty. What superintendent does that?

He had a refreshing approach to education. After chatting with him, I often wondered if my early experiences as a teacher had been guided by someone like him, would I have stuck with it rather than abandoning ship in favor of journalism.

It’s going to be difficult to fill his shoes. We wish him the best and much happiness in the years to come.

The newspaper in John Day is a sister paper to the Chieftain, so I will have the pleasure of continuing to read about his successes as he moves to the Grant School District.

HAVE YOU noticed the plethora of things there are for school children to do during the summer months in Wallowa County? The possibilities are nearly endless.

The research is clear. Students who are challenged mentally throughout the months away from school do better in the school year ahead.

There’s a great body of research on the benefits of “year-round” school, which doesn’t actually mean children are in class 365 days a year.

Students are put on track so they have a month off three times a year rather than three consecutive months. Children seem to be able to academically absorb a month-long hiatus and pick up where they left off.

Three months can be problematic for some.

Don’t forget about the summer reading programs at the Enterprise and Wallowa libraries. This is an excellent way to keep the brain cells functioning on warm summer days.

And if your children would enjoy a free healthy lunch four times a week, remember Building Healthy Families summer lunch in the park begins June 11 in Wallowa, Enterprise and Joseph.