A welcome sight

It came! My diploma arrived yesterday--exactly two weeks after graduation (sooner than I expected).

And after four years of working hard for that piece of paper, I must say, it looks quite beautiful! :)

Proud to be a UT grad!

I'm done! Actually, I have been for over a week, but I'm just now writing a quick little summary about it. I am officially a college grad! I graduated bright and early last Thursday (whose idea was it to hold a graduation ceremony that early--and on a weekday?) from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications in Journalism and Electronic Media. It was definitely one of the happiest moments of my life.

I still don't think it has fully sunk in yet, although it does feel like a tremendous weight has been lifted off my shoulders! Graduating is one of those moments that isn't measured and experienced strictly during the hour and a half ceremony or thirty seconds of walking across the stage. One of the first times I really started to realize I was really truly about to be finished, was when I walked out of my third astronomy exam two weeks before graduation. It was a difficult course and thanks to some issues with the way my instructor taught and structured the class, those last few weeks were very frustrating and stressful. But after walking out of that exam, which was much easier than I expected it to be, I knew everything was going to be okay. Since I got to drop one of my four exam grades in that class, and the rest of my final exams were going to be pretty easy, in that moment it felt like the semester might as well be over. I think I smiled, laughed, and felt like I was floating through the rest of the day!

Another notable moment came during the rehearsal meeting. I found myself wiping away happy tears on the way back to my car as I remembered the ups and downs of my college experience: My first two years at Pellissippi and earning my associate's degree. The last two years at UT. The people I've met along the way. And some of the fun and inspiring classes I've had, like American Literature II with Edward Francisco at Pellissippi. Professor Francisco is absolutely awesome. I LOVED our two big projects in that class. I still have the children's book I wrote and the outline for my research project and class presentation on Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War in East Tennessee. It's like he knew I love to write and love history and intentionally planned our class assignments around that!

And of course, I can't forget Lauren Spuhler's Online Journalism class at UT! I really believe the class was a pivotal point in my pursuit of journalism. I knew not long after beginning that course that online journalism would play some role in my future (it does). More than anything, I believe the class provided a means for me to put all the skills I had learned up to that point in print, broadcast, and online journalism to use in practical, meaningful ways--with a wonderful teacher to provide guidance and encouragement along the way. And I loved it.

Bonnie Hufford's Editing class was challenging, but inspiring. I've always loved grammar and that course called on me to use everything I already knew and pushed me to learn more. There were times I thought I could recite grammar and AP style rules in my sleep, but I loved it. And Ms. Bonnie was an awesome teacher! I think her class sealed my fate as a grammar nerd!

I also couldn't help but remember some of the lower points. Like the sheer (and self-inflicted) torture of taking economics and probability and statistics over the summer between my freshman and sophomore years. The cruel and unusual punishment of Mass Communication Law and Ethics with Dr. Teeter and Dr. Leiter as an evening class once a week for three hours. The frustration of astronomy this semester. The horror I felt when I realized the 5-credit-hour precalculus course I took my first semester didn't count toward my major (I hate math. So not only did I take a math class everyday for nothing--it also meant I had to take an additional class to satisfy my requirements! So this math-hater took three college math courses.)

And of course, other outside events tied to college, like connecting with the Harvest CCA group and eventually ending up at Harvest Church. :) I pondered all of those thoughts and more.

The past four years have been quite a journey. An adventure that has been a wonderful and fulfilling experience overall, but certainly not without its challenges. More than anything, my college experience has been a step-by-step journey of learning to trust God on a deeper level and follow his guidance--even when I only have just enough instruction to take the next step, with absolutely no idea what the big picture looks like. *laughter* As a matter of fact, I'm not sure I ever had a glimpse of the big picture. I still don't know exactly why God has me doing this, I just know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is what I'm supposed to do in this season of my life.

I'm very much a planner who likes to have all my ducks in a row, so at times the "not knowing" aspect of the journey felt like it was going to kill me. But God was there with me every step of the way--guiding my steps, calming my fears, putting up with my whining, and reassuring me that he loves me and has a plan for my life. And God has faithfully kept his promises.

I love, love, love learning. So even if school drove me crazy at times, I enjoyed the majority of it and thrived in the academic atmosphere. However, I have been very ready for quite some time to embark on a lifetime of learning outside of the confines of an institution. I was definitely happy to graduate! Even though I'm done with school, I will always be learning something new, whether I'm reading a book, learning a new hobby, etc. The day I stop learning is the day they bury me in the ground!

But all in all, I'm overwhelmed at God's grace and goodness. His grace has been more than enough and he has blessed me far more than I deserve. And I am so thankful!

I also want to take a moment to thank each of you who have supported me, put up with me, prayed for me and encouraged me through this journey. I couldn't have made it without you guys. Love you!