Today was D day after 22 years of waiting and hard work. Today it’s not just about my triumph, but my family’s as well. Today I got my Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing.
It was 7:20 am this morning when I was awoken by my “Candyman” by Christina Aguilera alarm on my cell phone. I reached over to turn it off, and with a chill down my spine I got up almost instantaneously from the warm covers. I headed straight to the shower. Got dressed as quickly as I could in my perfect, little, black dress– as some fashion designers would describe– and got into my car.
As I walked into the Congress Room on Campus, my mind went blank, I couldn’t quite gather that the moment I’ve so longed for was finally here. “Your name?” a nice lady from the registry asked. I gave it and quickly was found on the list. My graduation ring was then given to me. I stared at it for ten long seconds and slipped in my right finger ring.
The blue rock mounted on white gold sat there wrapped around my finger as I ate my breakfast with my friends at one of the happy tables. Our faces were frozen with this eternal smile on them. After all the while waiting, finally I was directed to the line where you got your college degree from the hands of the system director (his last graduation ceremony before retirement by the way). The split 15 seconds between hearing my name and walking over to receive my degree, where the 15 seconds where my heart raced so rapidly I could hear it on my ear drums.
Finally, I shook the almost retired man’s hand and grabbed my degree. I couldn’t stop smiling. I grabbed on the blue leathered folder so tightly I was proud of myself. So all I know now is that I thank my family and myself for “the end of an era and the start of a new one” in my grandfather’s words.