While I am ecstatic to type those words, I’ve spent some time revisiting the journey which ended with my diploma:
In my collegiate career I’ve gotten my driver’s license, received my first car, lived away from home, learned to play guitar, questioned my religion…and my sanity, forgotten my actual age at school within a crowd of older people, given my life completely to God, lost a best friend, cashed paychecks from my first real job, realized (twice) how quickly money disappears when you aren’t working, read thousands of pages, written hundreds of thousands of words in papers, poems, songs, scripts, short stories, manuals, evaluations, reviews, memos, to-do lists, etc.
I’ve attended four colleges, changed my major five times (it was always related to writing), seen friends my age get married and have kids, sometimes in the reverse order, relied on support of friends, family, and often God alone when I didn’t have anyone else, fallen in love for the first time, suffered and healed from a broken heart, realized how hard it is to find genuine friends—and how precious they are while they last, seen people completely change for good and for bad, laughed until I’ve cried, cried until I couldn’t breathe, ignored great advice, given great advice that was ignored, and most of all, I’ve learned to praise God in every situation and have received His peace and joy through every trial.
After reflecting on the growth that has occurred throughout my college years, I realized that I shouldn’t be surprised. I started taking college classes when I was a timid sixteen-year-old girl and finished as a confident twenty-year-old woman. This confidence didn’t stem from pride in any particular accomplishment, but honestly came from learning who I am and am not—and not only accepting, but embracing, that person. I have found my identity in Christ and appreciate the way He created me. Even as I celebrate earning my B.A. with friends and family, I recognize that none of it would have been possible without God. Every time I wanted to fall apart, He held me together and provided me with the energy and motivation to finish.
I am so thankful for the development that has occurred in the past four years and am excited about the next chapter in my life.
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