The Big Day

I ended my Towson University student career today. I sat in the front row at graduation. I'm not much of a self reflective person in the moment, but today I was. I stared at the Towson University logo on the back of the stage for most of the ceremony. I couldn't help but think about how much that that logo meant to me.

Towson is part of who I am now. It's part of each decision I make and will make.


















I feel honored to have the memories that I do. I was able to meet amazing people, learn who I am and now know where I want to go, because of Towson.

















I was almost a News Anchor. Nothing was stopping me. I was going to be on the evening news within a year of my graduation in 2008. That was the plan, anyway.

















So even as my career changed paths, I still know I am following my passion. Starting on my new adventure feels wrong without Towson by my side.

I understand now that Towson is not by my side, but within me.

I passed

I passed. It might not be pretty, but with everything I had going on this semester I am extremely happy to have a semester GPA and Cumulative GPA over 3.0.

After tomorrow's graduation, I can officially start on my next adventure.

Fan Mail

I have to share my first piece of psued0-fanmail. Surprise, surprise - it made me cry.


Hey, I read your nostalgic blog post about you moving on from Towson. I know some of how you feel, I know some of how you feel a bit more… lonely now. I’m not sure if that is the correct word for the emotion, but I know you feel like you’ve lost a home. Like a mature lion who’s been shoved from the Pride, perhaps? That’s how I felt.

Towson was, for me, the home in which my character wasn’t judged, but still pushed to transform, my soul always challenged but not never offended. I have had many talks with people who have gone to college, and I always said, “The most important things I learned from college, didn’t come from the class room.” They never understand what I mean, and that’s unfortunate. They assume it’s the organizing, the scheduling, or maybe they jovially laugh thinking it was the partying (which, yes, I did my share of). I sometimes delve further and discover they don’t understand what the true definition of my statement is. It’s taken me a while to figure out why, but it’s simply: I assume that their friends also became their family, that unexpected life-changing conversations always occurred, and experiences you cherish were rich and plenty. For many though, that never happened.


Towson was my home, my family, my sky that I could finally discover how far my wings spread. I am jealous of you, and all the experiences you’ve had since freshmen year at Towson. I wish I would have had more, that I would have entered as a freshmen, not a Junior, and lived just a few more years on that campus. Perhaps even, ACTUALLY living in a dormitory… not just homelessly wandering the corridors of one. If I hadn’t gone to community college first and met a tall blonde named Candice, who mistakenly got a dorm room in Richmond later, I would have never met any of my current friends. None of you were in my classes, like… at all.

I look back on how that little bond of friendship changed my life, of how I looked wearing a toga in the Richmond classroom, and realize how astonishingly lucky I am. I know you feel lucky, and although you feel the world calling your name, beckoning for you to come and find your place… you’ll always feel the pull of the place that you strived to change- and unexpectedly changed you.

-Marc

I really couldn't have said it better. Thanks, Marc.

The end of an era, part 1

I'm done.

As long as I pass my classes *cross your fingers* I can officially say I am a Master of Arts.

It's been a great 2,097 days. Days of struggle, overcoming internal and external struggles and learning far more than I expected.

Over these past 50,328 hours as a Towson student, I have gained friendships, a sense of self and a boatload of Towson t-shirts.

I wouldn't change a thing.

Cryfest

I had my first cryfest today. I cried three times.

Emma left.

Kristen left.

Britney hugged me goodbye.

Matt and Kyle left. Thank goodness Matt and Kyle left together. It saved me a tissue. Although as soon as they left the office, I started getting teary eyed. Joe said, "No, don't do it, don't do it." I went to my desk and started crying. Joe said, in the way only he can do it, "Oh nooooooo." It made me laugh.

Amy and the CC staff gave me this:

Cry session number 3.

I don't know how I'm going to do this the next week or so. I don't like this at all.

Maybe I'll stay?

Distraction

I'm in the library for what I hope is my last weekend homework marathon. To keep me company and to keep the mood lighthearted, I have Lilo and Stitch.