The month of May can seem like the month of graduation ceremonies. And before we know it, a new class of recent high school graduates will begin their college experience at our institutions. It’s hard to believe that the majority of them were born in 2006. They have never known a life without hashtags and follows.

In fact, 2006 was the year Twitter launched, and Facebook opened its platform to everyone, not just college students. It was the year that Microsoft introduced Zune, a failed competitor to Apple’s iPod. It was also the year that we became acquainted with a girl named Hannah Montana.

These grads are the first to finish high school since the pandemic. Their freshman year began on Zoom, home-schooled but not by choice. What they learned was to adapt very quickly to an uncertain, and often uncomfortable, new world.

The common denominator in all of these developments is the introduction of change—a shift from what we knew to something new. It’s human nature to be afraid of the unfamiliar, but transformation is essential to evolution, to innovation, to advancement. Our ability to adapt is critical to success. As Robert Kennedy once said, “Progress is a nice word. But change is its motivator. And change has its enemies.” Everyone will say they want progress, but few will sign up so willingly for the work that is needed to claim it.

This is our ultimate challenge, to embrace a future of changes ahead. For all of the changemakers reading this (that’s you!), we salute your pursuit of progress. Our future requires more people like you. #bethechange #motivation #wednesdaywisdom