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Graduation is right around the corner and honestly I can not say that I feel excited.
Do not get me wrong. I really wish I could be excited about graduating, marching down the field to the Pomp and Circumstance march, receiving my degree and posing for a picture.
But the truth is that nobody seems to care. It's an Associate's degree, not a Doctorate or a Master's or even a Bachelor's degree. Therefore to some that means nothing.
I can say that I worked my butt off not only in my general education classes, but in my major classes as well. It actually feels good to know that I am done taking classes that were necessary and not so interesting to me. It feels like I've achieved at least something.
Isn't that how I'm supposed to feel? Am I not supposed to feel proud of completing one step and moving on to another, of being part of the thousand or so people out of 20,000 students here that are actually graduating and not staying on for their 20th year?
The feeling of embarrassment comes to me when I admit that I am graduating. When my communication's professor asked, "Who in here is commencing?" I was the only one who raised my hand and actually regretted doing so. I felt like the students in the class were thinking, "Oh look, this girl thinks she's the s***, and she's only getting her Associates."
In reality, I wish I could feel like "the s***." But I actually feel "like s***."
So look, I decided to graduate for me, not for anyone else. I shamefaced told my family to come if they wanted, but that if they didn't come it was not a big deal. I even ignored the comments from my sibling which went along the lines of, "Its only a community college graduation, Angie."
If you are graduating this spring I congratulate you. I think it is a great thing and I wish every other person thought the same way.
I think we are the future and we all start someplace. If we are going to be discouraged by people for starting at the bottom then what kind of motivation are we giving off?
Education is important and graduating from a community college is a steppingstone to a better future, so please be proud of your classmates, and I encourage you to graduate as well.
Congratulations to the Chaffey Class of 2009!
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