I can never get enough of the feeling that graduation stirs in me. I appreciate the vantage point that I have in watching our faculty and then the students march into Thompson-Boling arena. I especially appreciate the looks on the faces of the graduates as they come across the stage to receive a handshake and a diploma. Some of them extend their hand at the beginning of the walk across the stage, but others have to be stopped in their tracks as they approach me in order for me to say a few words and to hand them the diploma cover. I see such great joy in those faces though that it brings me to tears as the procession continues through the evening. Many of the students have had to overcome so much, with so little support from family and friends, that they are truly ready for anything the world throws at them after graduation.
I am also so impressed with the organization and dedication of the faculty and staff in making it all work. Our event only takes about an hour and fifteen minutes from start to finish. However, long hours have gone into making sure that grades are in on time, that students know when and where to be during the evening. I was amazed to watch Dr. Margaret Ann Jeffries decorating the stage before this year's ceremony. She had cut great boughs of magnolia from her mother's tree and had cut peonies from her own garden to decorate with great southern style. Truly an amazing job by an amazing person!
The reception after the ceremony is as much fun as graduation itself with all the famiies around taking photos and hugging each other. It is too easy to forget how much it means to have a college graduate in the family for the first time. That cap and gown are symbols of hope for so many of our students. May it always be so.