Last night, Governor Josh Shapiro spoke directly to West Scranton High School graduates, their parents, and teachers and staff, reminding them that there are many paths to success – and that the West Scranton High School Class of 2025 represents the opportunity to chart your own course and succeed here in Pennsylvania.
Since day one, Governor Shapiro has worked to open doors of opportunity for all Pennsylvanians, no matter their path. On his full day in office, the Governor signed an Executive Order announcing that 92 percent of state government jobs are open to Pennsylvanians without a college degree – and since then, nearly 60 percent of the Commonwealth’s new hires do not have a four-year degree.
Governor Shapiro has also made historic investments in public education, creating real opportunity for students, supporting teachers and school staff, and delivering results across the Commonwealth. The Governor has secured more than $2 billion in additional funding for K-12 public education — the largest investment in Pennsylvania history.
See Governor Shapiro’s full remarks to the West Scranton High School Class of 2025 here – and read key excerpts of his message to the graduates below.
Our Students Are Key to Pennsylvania’s Future
You might know that it’s customary for the Governor of Pennsylvania to speak at one of our many colleges or universities for graduation.
To put on that fancy regalia and speak to college students – and while that’s a nice tradition, I’m not doing that this year.
Instead, I chose to be here with all of you as you complete your high school journey.
Because I believe you – the West Scranton class of 2025 – are key to our future.
You represent 340 of the more than 125,000 students graduating high school all across Pennsylvania right now.
______________________________________________________________
Choosing Your Own Path to Success
We have literally invested in your success. That is money very well spent.
And you more than held up your end of the deal.
You studied hard, tried new things, and accomplished a ton.
And now, you’re about to set out on your journey through life, stronger because of your West Scranton education.
I want you to know that there are many different paths that journey can take you down.
And hear me on this – there’s no wrong path. There’s only your path.
There are many avenues to success.
And we’ve got to respect – and support – all of them.
That’s why, during my time as your Governor, we’ve increased funding for vo-tech, career and technical education, and apprenticeships while investing in making college more affordable.
Consider this: right here at West, nearly 60 students from your graduating class completed classes at the Scranton-Lackawanna CTC…
Studying everything from automotive and culinary arts to nursing and robotics.
22% of your classmates here today – nearly 80 students – are going to take the skills they learned and go straight into the workforce.
Another 10% are going to trade school.
8 of you are going into the military to serve our nation.
And about half of you are going to college.
You’re a great representation of the diversity of opportunities available here in Pennsylvania.
Each of you – no matter what path you choose – has the opportunity to be successful.
______________________________________________________________
Charting Your Own Course
And so if you remember only one thing from our time here today:
Remember that your Governor showed up at your graduation because he gives a damn about you and asked you to blaze your own path.
Chart your own course.
And follow your own gut.
Live your own failures and find your own success.
I certainly have.
Let me tell you a story:
When I graduated high school, my dream was to go to college, play on the basketball team, study pre-med, and then become a doctor – or maybe even be good enough to play professional basketball.
You see how that turned out. I am none of those things.
Instead, I flunked out of pre-med and got cut from the basketball team. On the very same day.
But I didn’t give up.
Instead, I found a passion for service that’s guided my life’s work ever since.
# # #