Commencement 2009

Congratulations to all the new graduates. My niece received her bachelor’s degree in business last Friday. It was a very proud moment for me and my family. That most elusive bachelor’s degree is the hardest accomplishment in the world it seems. Right after one receives it, you are instantly catapulted to a new dimension of opportunity. I wanted to cry many times during her ceremony. So many young and old faces were receiving their reward. Each one had a story. Some looked like single parents finally getting over the hump. Others looked like troubled youth who for some reason made a decision to leave their old lifestyle behind and take a real road out of poverty. For some reason, the young men really touched my heart. I am usually all girl power, but on Friday I was extremely proud of their achievement. While commencement seems to me like it should mean “the end,” it really means just the opposite, the beginning.