Best Moment of the Decade? College graduation

In the past decade I've been through high school and college. With each of these eras in life there came a lot of really great experiences like football games, hosting a radio show, hosting a television show, acting in plays, proms, dates, etc.

If I were to argue that one moment in particular stands out among the rest I would have to say that moment is the 2009 graduation celebration for myself and my sister. While my high school graduation in 2005 was great, it doesn't quite compare to graduation from a top ten university. Also, while celebrating alone would have been fun, the experience of celebrating in that same moment my sister's graduation from high school made it a legendary event.

My parents and nearby relatives made this event one of the most memorable I will ever have. There was great food, great friends and family who drove in from far and wide. I could not have asked for that day to go any better than it did.

The experience was well worth the work invested. Mom and I woke up in the middle of the night at the beginning of the year to stealthily make a move to be the first to take advantage of the chance to reserve the space we wanted as early as possible. When we got to the location we realized we were not the only ones who knew about this early morning rush to reservations and found ourselves sitting with a crowd of people who all seemed to be hoping to reserve the Como Park Pavilion for the same day.

We reserved an awesome day with great weather and infact, on the day that we had previously chosen (someone else got to it before us) it rained!

I knew my fraternity brothers would be there to celebrate, support, and eat, and they did not disappoint. We stepped for friends and family and strolled to music provided by DJ "My big cousin". GOMAB to the noble men of the Zeta Nu Sigma and Pi Eta chapters of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated and the entire Great Lakes Region!

There was cake! Two HUGE cakes to solidify the fact that this was indeed a joint graduation party. One cake featured pictures of myself and the other had pictures of my sister. Nothing about this event was ordinary, there were large signature frames for everyone to sign and congratulate in writing. Toward the end of the event my sister and I were given the chance to stop and thank everyone who came out and give shout outs and congratulations to each other.

This event went off like a miniature family reunion. Even my eldest great grandmother, 93 years young, came out to party. Nothing compares to an event like this. The impact it had on me was major and I appreciate each and every person that participated and a special thanks to those who helped me get to that point.

If you have a family member who is graduating even from elementary school, this is me telling you to celebrate that moment. It has a significant impact on how they will perceive advancement in academia.

Peace,
Proverb