Graduation...

I have personally participated in a graduation ceremony twice in my life. First was my high school graduation from Riverview in June of 1988. I remember a few things about that ceremony quite vividly. I remember that it rained, and that I could not hear any speakers at all because of the noise created as the rain hit the microphone. I remember the corners of my yellow graduation cap curling down as the cardboard softened from the rain. I remember seeing my family in the bleachers.  I also remember afterwards, when I was overcome by a feeling of, "Really? It's over? Thirteen years of schooling is finally over?"

My second graduation was from Bethany College just four years later. That one was also an outdoor graduation. This time, however, it did not rain. The late May sun was blazing hot.  The graduates all wore black, with hoods to indicate if our degree was a BA or BS. I remember that the speaker was Edward Albee and that his speech was incredibly depressing. I remember that the guy next to me was intensely hung over and barely stayed upright in his folding chair. I remember my family being there and my nephew running up to me as soon as I had my diploma in hand.

This Friday, I am participating in another graduation ceremony. It's not for me, or for any members of my family. This time, it is for the students of Arbor Education and Training, LLC. I teach there. My students prepare for the GED. With my help, 28 students got GED's this year. I don't know if this is a big number or not, but I felt strongly that those students should get to experience their own graduation. And so, Friday they will.

It appears only about half of my actual grads will be in attendance at the graduation. Many of them have jobs, and so are unable to be at the noon ceremony. I can't be upset with that, because having a job is incredibly important. I am sad for their families, though, that they won't get to sit in the audience and finally see their kids move that tassel.

I have many members in my family who never have participated in their own graduations. I think it is part of going to much larger schools than I did (my high school class had 104 students; college had about 250). Perhaps they had other things to do, I don't know. But they simply did not bother with the ceremony itself. It certainly is a personal choice. For me, it was never a question. I felt like all that hard work I did needed to be recognized. I wanted to walk across that stage, shake that hand and get my piece of paper that said I was DONE, at least with that step.

I imagine that this Friday's graduation is going to be more emotinal for me than either of my previous two. I imagine that there will be many parents there who never imagined they would get to see their child in a cap and gown. And I know I will be smiling the entire day with pride for my students, because they accomplished something huge.