Wednesday was a big day at high schools all around the nation. At ceremonies that ranged from formal to simple, student athletes and academic achievers signed scholarship papers promising to attend certain colleges and universities in the fall.

There were proud parents, siblings, grandparents, coaches and friends in attendance at the celebrations, and the high school seniors committing to their post-secondary educational careers were just as proud to be announcing their plans.

Six of those students are seniors at Nansemond River High School, which held its own signing ceremony bright and early on Wednesday morning. Sitting at a table with their contracts in front of them, the students made it clear that the commitments they were making had set them on paths that put them one step closer to achieving their dreams.

All six of the students are athletes, five of them having played football at Nansemond River and the sixth being one of the nation’s hottest stars in the nation in track and field. Four of them will attend college on the strength of their athletic abilities. Brains paved the way for the other two.

All six, however, along with all of those students in the area and around the nation who sat at tables and signed their commitment to attend certain colleges in the fall, deserve our congratulations and our hearty well wishes.