High school graduations are something we dream about for most of our K-12 years. It’s a journey that seems to take an entire lifetime, and in a way, it does.

From roughly ages 5 to 18, we wake up each morning and head to school. We meet teachers, school staffers and fellow students who fundamentally shape us and make us who we are, as children, as teenagers and finally, as adults.

Simply put, the influence and importance of the people we meet and the relationships we form in our school years cannot be understated. And for many of us, there’s a friend, family member, teacher or school employee who made a tremendous difference in our lives and educations.

Maybe there was a teacher who changed your life by helping you find your passion in art, science, music, literature, math or social studies. Maybe there was a friend who stuck by you, no matter what. Maybe there was a school employee who offered a listening ear when you needed it most. Maybe there was a family member who pushed you to do your very best, even when the going got tough.

Overall, the people who help us make it to graduation are as varied as we are in their roles, personality and gifts. But almost everyone has someone they’d like to thank for helping them make it to graduation.

And that’s why The Mining Journal embarked on — for the second year in a row — a project to interview the year’s graduates to find out who or what they are grateful for at the end of their high school journey.

These interviews have been compiled into eight videos — one for each of the eight participating schools’ graduating class — that are available online starting today at www.miningjournal.net. And we can learn much about the Class of 2022 from these video messages.

Some messages are heartwarming. Some are tongue-in-cheek. Some are inspiring. Some are humorous. Some are honest reflections on a high school journey like no other. Some speak to the immense beauty — and the immense challenges — of growing up.

Some students thank friends or family members. Others say they are grateful for teachers and school employees. Some thank pets, some thank fictional characters, some thank their communities, some thank themselves for getting through such a difficult year and making it to graduation.

Some students prepared statements, others simply spoke from their hearts in the moment.

Each and every student is unique, as are their messages. But what unites these students and their voices is the resilience, strength and hope reflected in each and every one of them.

These videos are, above all, honest reflections of these students and the time they live in.

The videos take a naturalistic approach to documenting the students’ messages, meaning that the goal was to realistically portray students as they were on a given day at school — rather than in a studio — with much of the filming completed in the classrooms, libraries and hallways of their schools, largely with natural light and sound.

The goal of this naturalistic approach was to paint a larger and more realistic picture of the high school experience that serves to immerse the viewer in the world of these students.

This is because it’s easy to forget what it’s like to be 17 or 18. We ask you, as you view these videos, to remember how it felt to be that age, to stand right at the cusp of adulthood, to walk the tightrope between youth and maturity.

We also ask you to remember that much of Class of 2022’s high school experience has taken place under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. These students only had one complete year of high school that was pre-COVID — their freshman years. The pandemic and ensuing shutdowns grabbed hold of the world in the springtime of their sophomore year, just as they may have been preparing to get their driver’s license, a first job, or participate in a major athletic competition.

Many have experienced several shifts between in-person learning, remote learning and even hybrid virtual/in-person models. Many of these students may have missed — or experienced significantly altered — major milestones and rites of passage.

While the final years of high school are difficult under any circumstance, the Class of 2022 has endured unparalleled challenges in the face of a global pandemic that changed almost every facet of life. But these students have handled an unprecedented situation with strength, grace and, critically, a sense of humor and camaraderie.

Meeting hundreds of members from our local Class of 2022 gives us great hope for the future, as these young people are not only bright and talented, but they are kind, conscientious and resilient. Many of them have developed practical, concrete and inspiring plans for their futures. They have overcome challenges many adults could never imagine and they still retain their sense of humor and hope. This is no simple task. But these traits are the ingredients for a happy and successful adulthood.

The Class of 2022 is certain to thrive as they cross the boundary into adulthood and make our community — and our world — a better place.

We are so proud of these graduates and all the people who helped them get to where they are today.

From all of us here at the Journal, congratulations to the Class of 2022. We are grateful for you.