GRADUATION!!!

This is my absolute favorite picture of today, the happiest day I have ever known.


And here we go! The play-by-play of Jeanne's Graduation Day!!!

Here was me this morning. I was an absolute vision.


Every moment of today was epic. Starting from getting up at 6 AM to make myself presentable for the 8:30 convocation in the Grand Ballroom of the Sorenson Student Center. I listened to "Under the Iron Sea" by Keane on the way over to UVSC. I listened to "Atlantic" and "A Bad Dream" and remembered what it was like when I had first gotten back from L.A. and started UVSC again. That was a crazy summer. The morning was so beautiful...all of the pink trees and the new spring green that was everywhere, the air was so fresh. I was already late to get in line and when I got there I realized that I forgot my tassel and had to run to the PE building to get another one and therefore MISSED the grand entrance entirely. I literally RAN (black robes flying) into the ballroom 10 seconds after all of the other students had entered and sheepishly had to maneuver into the line through the already assembling professors. They thought it was so funny but I felt so AWFUL!!!
Here we were, lined up for the morning's convocation of the School of General Academics. (This was before I realized that I had forgotten my tassel.)

Because of being late, I was the VERY LAST person to walk across the stage to graduate. It was kind of cool, really. Because ours was the last graduating class of UVSC and I was the last one to graduate.


Me. So happy. Right after I had gotten off of the podium.



My amazing, AMAZING parents. I could have not have done this without their love. AND support.




The Fam. Thank you for coming.




My bff Vivian, I was so happy she got to be there.


Ah..it was a beautiful morning. I was so happy.


Here we were, all of us lined up to go into the McKay Events Center for Commencement Exercises.

The Commencement was amazing, more than anything though, it was the entrance of how we came onto the floor that astonished me. All of us students came through one of the lower tunnels onto the floor and we walked through a human tunnel of all of our professors.
It was one of the most inspiring and incredible human experiences of my life. I am so glad I got to have it. It really was a love fest. Everyone was proud of everyone. And the Professors that we so looked up to were all there...letting us know that they loved us, too.




The Commencement itself was long. But at least I got to sit next to my friend, Chrissy. Here is the "Changing of the Tassel", mine came right off!!!!



The beautiful, beautiful, beautiful Chrissy Keller. I love this girl.


Me with the incomparable Professor Machiel van Frankenhuijsen. He is seriously one of my favorite people on the planet.

My wonderful Dad and me, at the reception in the Liberal Arts Building. He got grapes and cheese and a brownie. I had elcaires, I admit it. OH! It was all so fun!

Ah, I am in such a daze that I can hardly keep my eyes open. My parents got to come, and to meet my favourite Professors, it was amazing. I am so glad that they got to come. My Dad and I were talking about how at one time, I was scared to death that I was never going to be able to learn how to read. "And now look at you." he said. I love my Dad.

I got home and my sister, Kath, had sent me flowers!!! :)

Wow, thank you Heavenly Father. I am so glad that I DID come back to finish school. The experiences that I got to have and the friendships that I have made are priceless to me. So much of this happened by me getting into things right under the wire. I look back on it now and know that it was the last minute decisions that allowed me to have this day. I am delirious. I think it is safe to say, that this has been, in fact, the happiest day of my life. Truly. I have never felt so fulfilled or complete as I have today.

Just one more...

Good Night.