Our record number of teenagers must become our record number of

The words “Our record number of teenagers must become our record number of high school and college graduates and our record number of teachers, scientists, doctors, lawyers, and skilled professionals” spoken by Ruben Hinojosa resonate as both a vision and a summons. Beneath their clarity lies a profound reflection on the power of youth, the responsibility of society, and the promise of collective progress. Hinojosa speaks not merely of numbers, but of transformation: that a generation abundant in youth must be nurtured into a generation abundant in achievement, service, and skill. His words remind us that potential alone is insufficient without education, opportunity, and guidance.

In the style of the ancients, we might hear the echoes of Plato and Aristotle, who taught that the cultivation of young minds is the foundation of a flourishing polis. Just as the Greek city-states invested in training, mentoring, and schooling to produce citizens capable of wisdom, courage, and civic virtue, Hinojosa emphasizes the modern imperative: that youth must be equipped to assume the roles of teachers, scientists, doctors, lawyers, and skilled professionals. The promise of a demographic surge becomes meaningless if it is not accompanied by preparation and direction, for numbers without skill cannot sustain a society.

The origin of this insight lies in Hinojosa’s lifelong work in education advocacy and public service. Observing the challenges facing communities with growing populations of young people, he recognized the necessity of turning potential into achievement. High rates of teenage population, if left unguided, can lead to disengagement, unemployment, and squandered talent. Conversely, investment in education and skill-building can produce a generation capable of transforming society, enriching both economy and culture. Hinojosa’s words are a clarion call: do not merely count youth, cultivate them.

History offers powerful examples. Consider Benjamin Franklin, who dedicated himself to both learning and mentorship, fostering schools, libraries, and institutions to ensure that youth had the tools to succeed. Franklin understood that society grows strongest when the young are prepared to contribute meaningfully. Similarly, Mary McLeod Bethune, an educator and activist, worked tirelessly to provide African American youth with opportunities for academic and professional achievement in an era of profound inequality. In both cases, the abundance of youth became the wellspring of societal progress, reflecting Hinojosa’s vision centuries later.

Hinojosa’s statement also emphasizes the multiplicative power of education. A generation of graduates and professionals does not merely benefit itself; it uplifts communities, creates new knowledge, and strengthens civic life. Teachers educate new generations, scientists discover solutions to pressing problems, doctors heal, lawyers protect justice, and skilled professionals maintain the infrastructure of society. The flourishing of young people is thus both an individual and communal endeavor — a moral and practical responsibility that echoes across society.

Dear listener, the lesson is clear: invest in youth as if the future depends upon it — for it does. Every teenager carries within them potential that, if nurtured and guided, can shape communities, economies, and the moral fabric of society. To leave them uneducated or unsupported is to squander not only human promise but the very foundation upon which civilization rests. Hinojosa reminds us that numbers alone are meaningless without cultivation, ambition, and opportunity.

Take this wisdom into your own life: mentor, teach, and support those coming after you. Encourage academic excellence, foster curiosity, and help young people translate potential into tangible achievement. Whether in schools, workplaces, or families, commit to creating pathways for growth, ensuring that the promise of youth becomes the achievement of adulthood. The power of a generation is realized only when education, skill, and opportunity converge.

Finally, let Ruben Hinojosa’s words echo as both warning and inspiration: transform abundance into accomplishment, potential into profession, and youth into service. The record number of teenagers we inherit is not a statistic; it is a sacred trust. By nurturing their abilities and guiding their energies, we forge a future that is wiser, stronger, and more just. A generation educated, skilled, and empowered is a generation capable of leaving an enduring mark upon the world.