Analysis: A beautiful report, a hard truth

Wyoming is losing our very best and brightest

The Wyoming Department of Workforce Services recently released a 24-page, high-resolution report packed with charts, graphs and statistics. It is beautifully designed, full of color and data, but it can be summed up in one sentence: Wyoming’s children are moving away.

That single truth should stop us in our tracks. Fewer than half of Wyoming’s graduates are still living and working here 10 years after finishing high school. It’s not a blip on the graph — it’s been happening for more than 30 years, and we aren’t talking enough about why it’s happening. We can debate taxes, education or the latest talking points from Washington, but none of it matters if our sons and daughters cannot see a future in the place that raised them. Big Horn County is particularly hard hit, with 62 percent of our high school graduates leaving the state within 10 years.

Why do they leave? Mostly for jobs, health care and better connectivity. Many seek careers, services, and communities that Wyoming can’t always offer. It’s not about rejecting Wyoming; it’s about finding opportunity and belonging wherever they can.

All four of my own children have left the state. Each has their own story, their own journey toward purpose, meaning and a career — but none of those stories take place here anymore. They all love Wyoming, but they could not find a way to build their lives in it. I also have a feeling that if the right circumstances existed, they would all jump at the chance to return to Wyoming. I would sure love it if they would.

So, join me in exploring some ideas for how we might turn this around — how we can build opportunities for my grandkids and yours, and for the next generation of Wyoming’s best and brightest to live a little closer to home.

The bridges that matter

I have always loved bridges. They are a perfect metaphor for what makes life work: connection, understanding and the courage to move toward something better. Sadly, many of the first bridges built in Wyoming were not made to bring people here. They were built to help them leave, carrying pioneers toward Oregon, Utah and California. Today, we need to build bridges that do the opposite — ones that help people stay, return and belong.

Resilience is not enough

Over the past four decades, I have watched Wyoming adapt again and again. When oil prices crashed, coal declined or tourism slowed, we found ways to endure. That grit is part of who we are — a quiet strength that has carried this state through change and challenge.

The next generation needs more than pride in the past; they need a future they can see themselves in. They are looking for a bridge between tradition and innovation, where hard work still matters but new ideas have room to grow. Wyoming has always been about hard work, determination and heart. Now it is time to put all that into keeping our people and our promise alive.

A state that has always adapted

Wyoming has always adapted. We turned arid plains into farmland with irrigation ditches and canals. We built railroads and highways that connected isolated towns to the world. We survived energy booms and busts, droughts and pandemics. We turned natural beauty into livelihood through tourism, and now, slowly, we are learning to harness wind and data instead of just minerals and muscle. That is who we are — a state that has always found ways to move forward when the road looks uncertain.

The question now is whether we can adapt again — not just economically, but culturally. Can we bridge the gap between our past and our potential? Can we honor our traditions while giving the next generation a reason to stay?

Bridging the future together

Sometimes I worry that we have become a caricature of ourselves, clinging to the image of the lone cowboy instead of the communities those cowboys helped build. The real Wyoming has always been more than a symbol. It is neighborly, generous, adaptable and full of possibility.

Around Thanksgiving tables, campfires and football fields, the conversations that bring us joy are not about politics. They are about family, friends, drives in the mountains and great food. Maybe it is time we talked less about what divides us and more about how to open ourselves to change. That is what many of the young people leaving Wyoming are really asking for, a chance to build meaningful lives here, with the same pride and purpose we have enjoyed for generations through work, community and care for one another.

These are the questions I think we should be asking ourselves as we look to Wyoming’s future:

How can we expand technical and vocational training? Strengthen trade schools, apprenticeships and community-college programs that lead to solid careers right here.

Are our colleges and training centers tied to real Wyoming industries? Connect post-secondary programs with employers in energy, healthcare, construction and technology.

Is our digital infrastructure strong enough? Reliable broadband and cell coverage should reach every corner if we expect families and remote workers to stay.

Do families have what they need to put down roots? Affordable housing, childcare and accessible healthcare, including telehealth, are basic necessities, not luxuries.

Are we encouraging innovation? Support small businesses in renewable energy, outdoor recreation and agriculture tech, along with responsible data and crypto ventures.

How can we bring our young people home? A “Come Home to Wyoming” initiative could connect former residents and graduates to jobs and housing in their hometowns.

Do our leaders build bridges or walls? Division solves nothing. Progress takes cooperation, creativity and a willingness to listen.

Are our schools getting the support they need? We need to guide our Wyoming youth into careers they can truly build lives around, jobs that make it possible to start a family, afford a car and a home and continue their education while growing their opportunities.

I do not claim to have all the answers, but I know we cannot keep doing the same things and expect different results. Wyoming has endless beauty, affordable land and towns ready for new energy, new families and new ideas. We have what much of America has lost: space, safety and community. Yet we risk losing the generation that could preserve it.

If we want our kids to build their futures here, we have to build a future worth staying for — one bridge at a time.