Graduation

This is the 3rd time I have posted this story. I posted it back in 2005, then again last year. It's just too good not to share during this graduating time of year. Of course, I could not graduate with my masters (2004) normally. There had to be an embarrassing moment attached... here's how it all went down.

I went to University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. and our graduation was with the med school, pharmacy school, nurses, etc. On Graduation day, I got to the stadium in Little Rock and realized that I had left my bright gold communications tassel in Searcy. Now days, I could have cared less, but I was a little more uptight and thought I would stand out like a sore thumb. I RAN around the coliseum in heels with bad knees, for at least 20 minutes until I found the Dean, who had an extra. By the time I got my tassel in place, my hood was screwing up and my classmates had to mess with that for like 20 minutes. I looked at my watch and had 5 minutes to spare and I had to GO. I sprinted to the bathroom. As I was washing my hands, I heard faint music in the background and thought, "NOOOOOOOOO!!!!" I walked out of the bathroom to where my class was, and it was a sea of drab green Pharmacy hoods. My class (of only 18 people) were long gone into the ceremony, first ones in.

I looked at two pharmacy students I had never seen before in my life and said, "Excuse me, I am just gonna squeeze in right here" and just started walking. They were both in their drab green doctoral robes and I was in my bright gold tassel and hood. The people I was walking between thought I was crazy and were a little reluctant to let me in, but I squeezed in between them anyway. Their class stopped 15 rows behind my class. We were the only two classes in so far, but I had no other option. I just kept on walking. By myself. I bee-bopped to the front as the entire coliseum, Deans, and Chancellors looked on. I like to think of it as my moment. :) Apparently my whole class was trying to figure out where I went. My classmates and family were laughing for a good while after that. What a good representation of the bright students of my program.