It was great to see all the young men and women of Chilton County that walked across a stage or field and received their diplomas last week.

These students, we hope, have been thinking for at least the past couple of years about what will be their next step in life. Some will go on to college and enter an array of different fields of study. Some will go to work and begin earning the money necessary to provide for their themselves and their family. Some will enter military service, sacrificing for the good of their country.

We wish them all the best of luck in whatever their future holds.

The graduation ceremonies also provide us, Chilton County as a whole, an opportunity to pause and consider what our next step will be.

Some probably think our county is just fine the way it is, and, for the most part, it’s hard to argue with that opinion. We have an abundance of natural resources and people with good hearts who are willing to give their time, effort and money for the benefit of others. We have six good schools full of good administrators and good teachers that produce each year a class of graduates we can be proud of.

But there are ways we can improve. An obvious issue is that we’d like for more members of the Class of 2011 than the Class of 2010 be able to find work in the county. We need more jobs—not only for those just entering the workforce but also for those that have lost their jobs with our country’s economic downturn.

More people working in Chilton County means more tax dollars to improve government services (yes, that includes roads) and more business for local merchants.

We’re proud of the Class of 2010 and for all the people that helped make its members what they are today. Now is the time to start thinking about how we can open the door of opportunity even wider for the Class of 2011 and beyond.