When it’s time to graduate, there’s no better feeling than receiving your diploma!

When schools confer (see definition below) these important pieces of paper at graduation ceremonies, it’s a great time for friends and family members to celebrate the accomplishments of the graduates.

By the time you get your diploma, you will have written lots of papers and put in plenty of late nights studying for exams.

But when you have your diploma in hand, you’ll know that all your effort was worthwhile!

In fact, studies show that high school graduates earn, on average, about $200,000 more over their lifetimes than those who don’t complete high school.

And college graduates? They earn, on average, about $1 million more over their lifetimes than those without a high school diploma. It really does pay to stay in school!

Cool word vocabulary question of the day: What does graduating from high school mean to you?

CONFER: To give or bestow.