I enjoyed watching my daughter graduate from the University of Michigan two weeks ago. Thousands of graduates on the stadium floor of the Big House makes quite a spectacle! I know several of you have high school graduations approaching in a few weeks, and you will watch your family members prepare to head off to college for the first time.

This week offered a first-of-a-kind graduation for the Wolverine family—the first graduating class from the Joint Michigan Apprenticeship Program (JMAP). Wolverine hosted the graduation, which was attended by leaders, employees, and linemen family members associated with cooperatives and municipalities across the state, from the Upper Peninsula to the Ohio/Indiana line.

Aaron Howell, president of Northwest Lineman College, flew in from Boise to talk about the origins of apprenticeship programs going back hundreds of years. Chad Clark, business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, spoke about what it means to be a Journeyman Lineworker. I asked the graduates to remember this day and respect the program, their employers, and their families by working safely for the remainder of their careers.

Graduations always seem to offer a unique and bittersweet blend of satisfaction in a job well done, the end of an unforgettable era, and excitement—and perhaps apprehension—about what comes next. Those of us who watch from the seats of the high school stadium, college arena, and apprentice training floor share the same excitement—because in front of us walks the engine of tomorrow and the leaders of our future. Congratulations, Graduates!