Mission Accomplished

Five years ago, I began to work on my Master's Degree.  I've been sidetracked by family illnesses, death of loved ones and life in general.  Over a year ago, I made a promise to myself.  I was going to finish my Masters Degree.  Come hell or highwater, I was going to finish this degree and get it done.

I had a child go off to college.  The last one started high school.  And I kept plugging on along.  College applications for the middle child have gone out, and a college has been chosen.  And through it all, I've been plugging and chugging, working on my Master's degree.  The papers have been steadily written.  My laptop has  gone on vacations with me, and I've been reading papers and writing papers and completing projects on the side of sports fields, in hotels around the country, and in libraries around the area. 

And the perserverance has paid off.  Last night, I submitted my final posts on Blackboard.  I submitted my last project.  Everything is finally finished.

I didn't know whether to laugh or to cry with relief.

My kids were thrilled beyond words for me.  They have sat with me while I've worked on papers.  We've gone to Wi-Fi hot spots and bitched about our homework together.  I've maintained a straight-A average, and the kids have seen the amount of work and dedication that has gone into keeping those grades up where they belong.

This last class has been the most frustrating of them all.  I loved the class before this one.  This class was not a good match for my personality.  It has been a struggle for me to slog my way through these classes, assignments, and readings.  As of now, I have an A in the class, but there are still 3 papers that I have submitted that have not yet been graded.  As long as I get a C in the class, I will graduate.
HOWEVER, I would really, really like to keep my A average at this point.  I'm patiently waiting to see what will happen next.

It is a strange sensation.  Earning my Master's Degree has been a goal of mine since I graduated from high school.  25 years after I graduated from College with my Bachelor's Degree, I will be graduating with my Master's Degree.  I've accomplished a major life goal.  Knocked a major tick off of my bucket list. 

Within 10 crazy days this summer, my middle son will graduate from high school, and I will walk across the stage and receive my diploma.

I love the feeling when you accomplish a dream.

I had posted this on the old blog on March 8, 2013.  This seems like a great Throwback Thursday!
 This post originally appeared in my now defunct "Mom's View" blog.  I moved it to this blog at the request of my kids, who wanted to have all of the various posts that accompanied their high school years in one place.  I've matched the publication dates here to their original post date.  If you're reading these posts, I sincerely thank you for taking the time to go back through them all! 

1 Graduation Down

Yesterday was graduation day for #1 son.  I am a very proud Mama at the moment, and I feel the need to brag.

He double majored in Math and Physics.  Double minored in Statistics and Computer Science. 

Graduated Magna Cum Laude.  In 4 years.

Son #1 took so many AP courses in high school that he entered college as a Sophomore, and became a Junior at the end of this first semester.  This gave him the ability to earn a double major in 4 years.  (He's taken 21-24 semester hours for the last 2 years, so it's not like it was a cake walk.)

We are fortunate.  He will be going to Graduate School in the fall, and he has a scholarship that will cover all of his costs, including tuition.  These scholarships that he's earned?  They're the result of his own drive and determination.  I know he's had rough patches, and I know he doubted his ability to pull this off.  There were nights when he called and just wanted to talk about cats, and ask whether or not the cows down the street had calved yet.

The determination that he's shown to finish, and finish strong?  That's all his own.  I'd like to take credit for giving him that drive, but honestly, it's all him.  He's a very determined man, who has had a destination in mind since somewhere in high school, and he is taking the next step along that path now.

I was astonished by the number of people who stopped me yesterday to let me know of the time that he spent with them, tutoring them in math or physics, making certain that they not only "got" the material, but that they understood it and were able to apply it not only to their homework problems, but to real life scenarios that were presented in lecture or in the textbook. 

The University President had made the remarks in the ceremony the night before about kindness, and strength of character.  One comment that has stuck with me is: "It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice."

Son, I am proud of you.  You have accomplished much that you have set out to do.  And you have done it with kindness, determination, and grace.

Good luck to all of our graduates this year - whether from high school, or college.  I wish you keep your dreams in front of you, and your steely determination to succeed closely by your side.  Know that life will throw unexpected challenges in your way, and how you rise to meet those challenges will determine your strength of character, as well as your true nature.  Whatever you do, wherever you go, I urge you to keep these words and thoughts in your mind:  It is nice to be important.  But it is more important to be nice.

Mission: Accomplished

Five years ago, I began to work on my Master's Degree.  I've been sidetracked by family illnesses, death of loved ones and life in general.  Over a year ago, I made a promise to myself.  I was going to finish my Masters Degree.  Come hell or highwater, I was going to finish this degree and get it done.

I had a child go off to college.  The last one started high school.  And I kept plugging on along.  College applications for the middle child have gone out, and a college has been chosen.  And through it all, I've been plugging and chugging, working on my Master's degree.  The papers have been steadily written.  My laptop has  gone on vacations with me, and I've been reading papers and writing papers and completing projects on the side of sports fields, in hotels around the country, and in libraries around the area. 

And the perserverance has paid off.  Last night, I submitted my final posts on Blackboard.  I submitted my last project.  Everything is finally finished.

I didn't know whether to laugh or to cry with relief.

My kids were thrilled beyond words for me.  They have sat with me while I've worked on papers.  We've gone to Wi-Fi hot spots and bitched about our homework together.  I've maintained a straight-A average, and the kids have seen the amount of work and dedication that has gone into keeping those grades up where they belong.

This last class has been the most frustrating of them all.  I loved the class before this one.  This class was not a good match for my personality.  It has been a struggle for me to slog my way through these classes, assignments, and readings.  As of now, I have an A in the class, but there are still 3 papers that I have submitted that have not yet been graded.  As long as I get a C in the class, I will graduate.
HOWEVER, I would really, really like to keep my A average at this point.  I'm patiently waiting to see what will happen next.

It is a strange sensation.  Earning my Master's Degree has been a goal of mine since I graduated from high school.  25 years after I graduated from College with my Bachelor's Degree, I will be graduating with my Master's Degree.  I've accomplished a major life goal.  Knocked a major tick off of my bucket list. 

Within 10 crazy days this summer, my middle son will graduate from high school, and I will walk across the stage and receive my diploma.

I love the feeling when you accomplish a dream.

This post originally appeared in my now defunct "Mom's View" blog.  I moved it to this blog at the request of my kids, who wanted to have all of the various posts that accompanied their high school years in one place.  I've matched the publication dates here to their original post date.  If you're reading these posts, I sincerely thank you for taking the time to go back through them all!