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May 25, 2006

Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road

No more pencils, no more books, no more teachers’ dirty looks, degree please.
After 18 years of formal education, including nursery school and kindergarten under my belt, I have finally reached my goal of becoming a college graduate. On Sunday, dressed in a long black robe accented with a gold and blue-lined hood and topped off with a cap with a shimmering tassel bobbing to and fro, I made the triumphant walk across the academic quadrangle that I passed through countless times over the past four years.
However, this time something was different. This time, I felt like a super star.

As I made my way down the center isle toward the library passing by energized family and friends on what felt more like a red carpet than a brick pathway, it all started to click – this is why I worked so hard over the past two decades.
As I sat with my 1,331 other soon to be fellow alums, I felt like I did something special, something, extraordinary even. And that is when it hit me. It now became clear. I now began to understand why my family sacrificed so much and pushed me so hard toward the completion of my degree so that I could revel on this day.
An undergraduate degree, I realized, means far less about understanding the Ptolemaic universe theory and much more about understanding life in general and about the world that we call home.
Over the past two decades, as I worked toward this achievement, I learned substantially more than just theories, formulas and about past presidents; I was instilled with more important lessons such as the value of friendship, compassion and honesty.
The people I have met, the relationships that have developed and the experiences I have lived during the past 18 years have made me who I am today. Looking back on it all, I have come to realize that the learning that went on inside of the classroom was just part of my education. My interaction between my teachers, fellow students and those around me has also prepared me for what comes next.
Although I have completed my formal education, at least for the time being, I realize that life’s biggest lessons lie ahead. As I journey off into the real world, I am confident that I have developed a strong foundation of education on which I hope to build a career, a family and a fulfilling life.
I thank all of those who helped me reach this point, I certainly would never have been able to achieve so much without so much support!

Posted by Jamie on 11:12 AM | Comments (4453)

May 20, 2006

So like life

Tomorrow, May 21, 2006, I will be a college graduate. I was just looking at some pictures when I came across this one.
It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words; this one speaks no fewer. It was taken just a few weeks ago at my friend Meredith's apartment. In it, my friends, from left, Meredith, Bethany, Jamie (that's me!) and Renée proudly huddle behind Nancy as the curtain slowly descended upon our fourth year of college. Of all of my classmates, I will miss few more than these graduating seniors.
One of the first things one will realize about this image is that it is not crisp or perfect, the lighting is not the most ideal nor is it absolutely centered and yet it is beautiful because of who I am standing with. The past four years are now becoming a blur, although everyday was not perfect, I remember smiling faces, good times and a lot of laughing with a few slices of pizza here and there. I made it through the few darker days because I was never alone on my collegiate adventure. When I do think back on my four years at Quinnipiac University, a beautiful picture develops of days that I would never change. I will miss each and every one of you in more ways that what mere words could ever express.
Congratulations to everyone making the walk as a representative of the Class of 2006!

Posted by Jamie on 12:16 AM | Comments (29)

May 16, 2006

Here comes the drop...

So I will be graduating in less than a week. From all indications, I have successfully fulfilled all requirements both in the school of communications and at the university in general; what once seemed daunting now appears to have been the easy part. On Sunday morning as I participate in Quinnipiac's undergraduate commencement excercises with my 1200 or so classmates, I will have finally accomplished a goal that had been created for me before I was even born: to earn a college degree. After 16 years of work, I will finally have the opportunity to feast on my bounty, but what if there is no bounty to be found?

So I will be graduating in less than a week. From all indications, I have successfully fulfilled all requirements both in the school of communications and at the university in general; what once seemed daunting now appears to have been the easy part. On Sunday morning as I participate in Quinnipiac's undergraduate commencement excercises with my 1200 or so classmates, I will have finally accomplished a goal that had been created for me before I was even born: to earn a college degree. After 16 years of work, I will finally have the opportunity to feast on my bounty, but what if there is no bounty to be found?
For the past eight years, I have worked at the Connecticut Post doing almost everything imaginable from writing news stories about acupuncture for pets to designing sports pages while advising the newspaper's teen section, writing short editorials and business stories. However, with that said, I am not in the mental state I thought I would be in right now.
I imagined I would have found some amazing job somewhere doing exactly what I want but instead I am faced with sheer uncertainty a mere five days before I enter the real world. I am scared, I am not gonna lie. It seems like yesterday, literally, that it was March and I kept telling people, "I have nothing to worry about; I'll start worrying if I don't have a job by May 1," More than two weeks past my self-imposed deadline, I still have nothing.
For the past 21 years, I was advised not to rush my adolesence but rather to enjoy my childhood and prolong my entry into the real world for as long as possible; ironically I now find myself offering the same advice to my CT Teens. At some point in the past few days, it has hit -- I am an adult. Despite knowing my family will still be there for me, I am very anxious as to what lies behind life's next turn. Echoing again and again in my head is, "Will I make it?" Despite all of the support of my friends and family, I am still anxious. For the first time in my life, everything is likely to change all at once - my official residence, my income source, my job and my career title - no longer will i be a full-time student. Words do not begin to express all of the emotions rushing through my body right now.

Posted by Jamie on 8:06 PM | Comments (5072)