Next Wednesday, May 10, will be a pretty special evening for the Fountain Hills High School graduating class of 2017. At 7 p.m. in the Community Center, dozens of Falcons will be joined by their teachers, coaches, families and friends in order to celebrate Senior Recognition Night.

Hard to believe, but I’ve been covering this event for more than a decade now, taking photo after photo of these students sporting some of the biggest smiles you’ve ever seen.

At the event, the class of 2017 will be honored for many of their outstanding accomplishments. Some will receive academic scholarships from universities both near and far. Others will receive special recognition from the various departments at the high school.

That’s actually one of my favorite parts of the evening, watching as local teachers get to congratulate some of their highest achieving students. It’s clear that those teachers have great admiration for these youngsters, and it’s clear that those same youngsters have great admiration for their teachers, too.

On top of that, we’ll get to hear about the young men and women who have elected to serve their country by enlisting in the various branches of the military. That’s always a pretty powerful moment in the ceremony.

As the evening progresses, student athletes will receive recognition from their coaches and the various clubs, organizations and families from around town who have decided to offer scholarships will have a moment to speak and present their awards.

That’s another one of my favorite portions of Senior Recognition Night. Throughout the year, these various groups host dinners, special events, golf tournaments and the like in order to raise funds for their scholarship programs. By taking part in those various activities, the residents of Fountain Hills are contributing to the education of tomorrow’s leaders. It’s yet another example of how it really does “take a village.”

Of course, none of this would even be possible without the hard work of the Golden Eagle Education Foundation, who take on the monumental task of not only raising funds for their own scholarships and education programs, but also organize events like Senior Recognition Night. They’re in charge of securing scholarships and then creating the selection committees that have to determine which scholarship will go where.

On top of that, they’ve got to pull together those application packets on an annual basis, making sure local students have all of the information they need in order to apply for, and hopefully earn, a scholarship or two.

Not every town has a Golden Eagle Education Foundation. Not every town has so many groups willing to offer their support to graduating seniors on a yearly basis.

Even if you don’t have a graduating senior, I’d recommend dropping by the Community Center next Wednesday evening. It’s quite the sight; a community coming together to lift up the next generation.