Graduation

I received my PhD in Molecular Genetics on a hot hot Saturday in August. The summer graduation ceremony was held in St. John Arena, which was pretty sweet considering the temperature outside. With those huge thick robes on, I was glad to have the A/C! I met up with a friend (LRK) who had defended her thesis two days after my defense. Boy, were we psyched to be out! I also ran into a friend (LD) that I hadn't seen in over a year. He taught a volleyball PE class that I took as a way to meet players when I moved to Columbus. He was graduating with his PhD too! We just happened to get done the same quarter. One of those amazing coincidences that makes me smile every time I think about it.

I made fast friends with the people around me, and we kept each other entertained during the ceremony. Actually, after I got my diploma I think I just sat and stared at it for the rest of the processional. It was pretty amazing being hooded by my advisor, then having my name read for an arena full of people and shaking hands with President Karen Holbrook (she has a PhD in Biology too :^) ). Just tremendous.

Afterward, there were a lot more pictures, and then I had dinner with my family. Sushi, yum!! And then it was time to crash. What a day! The culmination of so many years of hard work. It's easy to forget how important that day was, and how happy I was to reach it. I'm just smiling like a fool as I write this. :-D