There’s something special about this time of year. The frigid winter weather is but a distant memory. The oppressive heat that comes with the dog days of summer is still weeks away. Summer vacation plans are coming together.

Most of all, it’s graduation season!

This past weekend, 416 young men and women received their diplomas from Gloucester High School during commencement exercises held at the College of William and Mary. This Saturday, another 91 are expected to cross the stage of the Harry M. Ward Auditorium at Mathews High School.

Much like the promise that comes each spring when green stalks shoot up from the ground, high school graduation brings with it the hope of a community that has nurtured these young men and women as they take this first big step into adulthood.

Parents, teachers and community members have patiently tended to this year’s crop of graduating seniors, protected them as best as they could from the countless dangers and pitfalls along the ...