Another school year is coming to a close, and with it, another group of exceptional seniors at Cornell, Mount Vernon and Lisbon are graduating.
In our paper this week, you’ll see roundtable discussions with representatives from Lisbon and Mount Vernon schools about what they are going to miss, what they’ve enjoyed and what they hope for our communities, as well as coverage from Cornell’s commencement.
One thing that struck the editor this year from both schools has been that they wish to see continued growth in these communities moving forward.
It is safe to say, that is always going to happen in these communities. Just this past week Lisbon Schools announced a plan for an expansion to the Lisbon Early Child Care Center to help cater to childcare needs of 60 more children in the community. That is on top of the trial after school program at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, after school activities on early outs at Southeast Linn Community Center, the classes that are coming up at the Lester Buresh Family Community Wellness Center and area schools to help younger kids have some independence, and Mount Vernon’s other childcare centers currently operating. Childcare is still an ongoing need in the community, but the discussions and efforts to the solution have been advanced and championed by many different organizations working together.
We have Lisbon Schools also going out for bids for their CTE wing expansion and the continued work at Mount Vernon on the Mustang Activities field that will have an impact on students in all areas of the school. Discussions are starting on larger projects at Mount Vernon like the aquatic center and the infrastructure improvements to uptown and the City of Lisbon continues work on Lisbon’s sports complex and nature parks.
For the graduates of 2023, we’ll repeat some of the same observations from previous years – You’ve given us so much as a community to cheer on, especially when we look at just this last year. The Mount Vernon football team’s trip to the UNI Dome, Lisbon’s Business and Professionals of America students attending their first national competition their first year competing, the continued success of the arts and drama at both schools (a play going to the national stage at the International Thespian Festival this summer, the Mount Vernon band performing in Washington, D.C., Memorial Day weekend, continued growth in numbers of students participating and advancing in speech competitions locally). And these are just the big highlights at the moment.
We know wherever you all go, Cornell, Lisbon and Mount Vernon graduates, you’re going to make the world a better place. You have already done that locally in your years as students here. Good luck and godspeed on your future goals, wherever those plans may take you.