With caps soaring high into the Miss-Lou sky, area graduates celebrated the beginning of a new journey. As other seniors prepare to step into their future after high school, let’s look at a few highlights of the week:

-The Miss-Lou Relay for Life continues to demonstrate the power of teamwork in the Miss-Lou. The organization has raised $139,000 this year and stands to raise more, beating last year’s fundraising efforts in the fight against cancer. Since the event started in 1995, our community’s Relay for Life has raised more than $3 million. Thank you to all who have contributed to this worthwhile cause.

-The future is bright for four area seniors who have been named this year’s STAR students awarded by the Mississippi Economic Council’s M.B. Swayze Foundation. Adams County Christian School’s Steven Porter, Cathedral High School’s Jackson Carpenter, Natchez High School’s Reginald Good and Trinity Episcopal Day School’s Brooke Wiley show that passion, perseverance and setting goals help pave the way to success in school and in life. A special thank you to each one of this year’s STAR teachers — Nicki Freeman, Denise Thibodeaux, Audrey Curry and Gwen Young — for guiding and inspiring not just these four students but a whole generation of learners.

-More than 700 runners and walkers started Saturday in clean white T-shirts and ended the morning covered in color from head to toe all in the name of exercise, having a good time and giving to a good cause. Proceeds from Saturday’s Color Dash 5K went to local Habitat for Humanity chapter and the Natchez-Adams County Chamber of Commerce. Thanks to the chamber’s young professionals group and Leadership Natchez for organizing and event that was truly a blast — a color blast.

As we enter another week of graduations, let’s always be on the lookout for good news.