Monday, May 18.
Eight semesters, one hundred and forty (ish) credits, and countless papers later ... I'm officially a college graduate!!
William & Mary is known for its overachievers (see: alumni who decided to take their liberal arts degree and, you know, found our nation), so it's hardly surprising that one graduation ceremony simply wouldn't be enough. Instead, W&M Commencement spanned an entire weekend, from the Candlelight Ceremony to the official commencement ceremony to departmental graduations ... and what a weekend!
While the campus-wide commencement ceremony on Saturday was held in W&M Hall, I participated in a departmental ceremony with other Global Studies and International Relations majors and then received my
actual diploma on Sunday with the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures in the Wren Courtyard. The Wren Building is such a central part of William & Mary and I felt so lucky to graduate on ancient campus!
I was blessed to have my immediate family and a handful of underclassman friends come down to spend time with me on graduation weekend, but no one traveled further than my aunts and uncle -- all the way from Texas!! Despite the heat and humidity, it was a blast to show everyone where I've spent so much of the past four years.
Even family who couldn't travel to Williamsburg were included in the celebrations! My aunt spent half the weekend on Facetime so that my grandfather could watch from Texas.
As usual, this Monday marks the start of a new week. As I prepare to drive a car full of dusty dorm supplies and hastily-packed suitcases down Richmond Road for the very last time, I can't help but think that this particular Monday feels a whole lot more like an ending than a beginning. My
freshman move-in day feels like it basically happened yesterday, so it seems simply impossible that I'm already done with four whole years in Williamsburg!!
Here's to hoping that the summer will make this dream feel a little more real...
