ACADEMIC BOOSTERS

BY WALLACE CALEB BATES

Tonight, I helped lead the Breathitt County Academic Boosters Recognition Ceremony, celebrating students in grades 6 through 12 with a 3.5 GPA or higher, including my younger cousin, Will. Congratulations to all of our kids!

Just six years ago, I sat in the crowd as one of the students being recognized. Now, I had the privilege of reading the names of the next generation.

These students give me hope. In a county that has long faced hardship, their hard work and dedication remind us that real change is possible. However, it will not happen if we remain on the sidelines.

If you are a young leader, this is the time to step forward. Our community needs more of us working together, sharing ideas, and building something better.

If you have ever thought your voice does not matter here, please believe that it does. Our home is worth investing in. It requires all of us. Not in the future, but right now.

We need young people who are willing to take a seat at the table, speak with purpose in places where decisions are made, and bring new ideas to long-standing challenges. And if you feel that a table does not have room for you, I will help you build a chair.

Change begins when you show up, support a younger student, volunteer your time, or begin a conversation that no one else is having.

The students recognized tonight are already leading by example. Let us follow their lead and go even further. Let us create the kind of Breathitt County that future generations will be proud to call home.

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