As I write this Editor’s Letter for our annual issue celebrating our remarkable local teens, I am also preparing to take my oldest daughter to college—11 hours away. She has worked incredibly hard to get there, and I couldn’t be prouder of the person she has become. I’m also a little heartbroken as she leaves home and our incredible community.
For so many years, our job as parents is to help our children grow—to work hard, discover what they love, overcome disappointments and, eventually, find their own way. And then, suddenly … they do.
That mix of pride, excitement and sadness has been especially present for me as we put together this issue.
We received so many nominations that choosing just ten Teens to Watch (page 66) was no easy task. Every nomination told the story of a young person doing something meaningful—excelling in the classroom, giving back, pursuing a passion, overcoming challenges or finding a way to make the world around them better.
As I read their stories, I found myself thinking about my daughter and about all of their parents. I thought about the early mornings, late nights, practices, setbacks and second chances—and about who these young people are becoming.
Many are preparing for the same next step my daughter is about to take: leaving what is familiar and stepping into a life of their own. They will go to colleges and eventually workplaces, pursue their dreams and discover new possibilities. As a parent, that is both exciting and terrifying. But as I look at these ten young people—and my own daughter—I also feel hopeful. If they are the ones taking on the world, the world is going to be just fine.
And as they leave what is familiar and discover new places they might call home, this community will always be part of their story. It is where they grew up, found their footing, were encouraged and challenged, and became who they are.
They may wind up across the country, or even across the world, but I hope they will all return to this community some day—to walk the familiar streets and visit the familiar faces that will always be cheering them on.
As always, that sense of connection—to this place and to one another—runs throughout this issue. You’ll learn about Greens Ledge’s newly commissioned boat (page 16), named for local Charlie Erdmann, that will bring students to its living laboratory. You’ll meet a local mom who turned her love of creating memorable celebrations for her children into a successful party-planning business (page 20) and a local screenwriter who has returned home to teach the next generation of creative thinkers (page 13).
In different ways, each story in this issue reflects what makes a community feel like home: the people who inspire us, challenge us and give us reason to give back.