So my convocation was on Saturday. I graduated from the College at the University of Chicago outside in Chicago's cold rain. It wasn't quite as bad as it seemed. I wore a kippah, of course, and President Zimmer wished me Shabbat Shalom. That was ... unexpected. So, I am now University of Chicago Alum(nus) AB '09. (Yeah, we're weird.)
I've been reflecting on what being a graduate means to me, and what I have gained from my lengthy college experience. First, graduation is an accomplishment: I have achieved getting through the Core, the language requirement, specifications for my concentration [sic], and even the physical fitness requirement. Second, graduation marks a transition (I happen into those a lot). Graduation is a transition from a learning community in the liberal arts to the general world or specialized academia. Third, graduation is a sign not that I am done learning, but that I have amassed the tools to learn by myself, at least to some extent. Fourth, graduation indicates solidarity with fellow grads, especially when you sit through a rainy ceremony. Lastly, graduation indicates for me a triumph, an overcoming of unforseen adversity.
Congrats, class of 2009!
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