As of today, I am officially an alumna (which Wikipedia defines as an "a female graduate or former student of a school, college, or university") of Florida State University. Many moons ago, I graduated from University of South Florida, but to be perfectly honest, I don't remember much of the ceremony. I do remember that the guy who sang the National Anthem started out WAY too high, and had to drop down an octave when he got to the "rocket's red glare" part. That's about all I remember. My tassel was light blue . . . and I think I still have my cap and gown in my mom's cedar chest, which now belongs to my oldest sister. We got four tickets – so Mom, Dad, Patti and Robyn were there. Josh, my nephew was there too because he was only an infant, and didn't take up a seat. But today's was much different. I can't really explain why, so let me just ramble on a bit.
I missed my mom. I kept thinking she would have been proud of me. I know my dad was, but I really missed my mom. My sisters were both there, and my niece. I got a really nice surprise Friday night because my friends the Smiths drove up for the ceremony. They drove for 5 hours up and five hours back for a 2 ½-hour ceremony. Mrs. Smith and I worked together for 14 years – and she was the first person who actually knew that I was selected as a Project LEAD fellow. I actually used her cell phone to call my sisters, and I went running down the hallway screaming, to tell her. The next night, she and her husband, Mr. Al, took me to dinner, and Mr. Al brought me a present – a Department 56 library, and my first piece of FSU paraphernalia. He graduated from the FSU College of Law a long time ago, and their son Ross, has two degrees from FSU, so he was QUITE excited about me becoming a Seminole. He warned me that being a Seminole is something you never get over! You know how there are some people who are not related by blood, but are family? That's exactly what Mrs. Smith and Mr. Al are to me: family by choice!
I think that this degree means more than my BS. First, I had to work a LOT harder for this one. I had NO idea when I first heard Dr D and Dr E tell us about Project LEAD, how hard it would be. The good has far outweighed the bad, but this may be the hardest thing I've ever done in my entire life.
One of the best things about today's ceremony was getting to share it with some people who have come to mean a lot to me. If you had told me in December 2006 that I would be so close with some people who I didn't even know, I would have laughed so hard, I probably would have wet myself. But that is exactly what has happened. I have made some really good friends that I can imagine being friends with forever. I have always wondered about some friends of the Smith's - they have friends they went to school with at FSU who they still see every year, talk to regularly. . I just couldn't imagine. But I can now. I cannot imagine never speaking to or seeing Robyn, Connie, Wendy or Stacy again. I can't imagine not talking to (or at least chatting online with) Andrea or Katherine. I can't imagine not checking on Vicki or Bobby facebook page. There are many people I will have to stay in contact with.
My niece has decided she wants to be a Seminole. Today, during the ceremony, the President of FSU was talking about connections, how so many Seminoles are connected to other Seminoles. I wonder if we're starting our own family tradition. My sister wants to explore the music therapy program at FSU, maybe she can be converted as well.
So tonight as I go to bed, I'm different. I am connected to something much larger and much older than I am. At my church, I am very much outnumbered and surrounded by those dreaded Gator fans. I have never gotten involved in the whole FSU-UF feud thing, I just couldn't see it. Surprisingly, even to me, I find that changing. My Bachelor's degree is from USF, and I'm very proud of that degree, but I have this much bigger feeling inside of me now. I don't know where these feelings came from – but I have them. I was thinking about my friend Dusty, who graduated from UF, and I understand now more why he has a Gator tag on his car and Gator "stuff" in his house. I get it. FSU has been very good to me and so, with pride I say "GO NOLES!"
