Graduation — Taking life to the next level
This past Saturday my cousin called me to touch base. In one phone call, I catch up with everyone, even my uncle sometimes. Well this call was no different than any other and Vicky had 80 people at her house to celebrate her niece’s graduation, and it got me thinking. What really is graduation? Is it just a reason to get 80 people together or is it cause for celebration?
According to Wikipedia this is the definition: “Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates.” I remember when I “graduated” from kindergarten, I wore a white dress with a crepe paper stash, mortarboard, and because of the momentous occasion, was granted a graduation fairy wand with my diploma. I can still see the picture of me with all of the excitement and anticipation a five-year-old could have. Even at that young age, I knew I was taking my life to the next level by entering first grade. I felt the same way when I finally received my 4-year degree after 17 years! And so it seems to be with every “graduation” we experience in life. This event is the precursor to bigger and better things in the future …a cause for celebration? You bet!
For many of us we keep returning to education and the ultimate graduation comes with that precious college degree–baccalaureate, masters, or PhD. Traditionally, with the earning of such a degree graduates eagerly anticipate the rewards that follow, generally speaking, a job. And so it is with our graduates today, they have completed their educational journey thus far and are entering the world to experience it and all it has to offer. Unfortunately, timing is everything, and the economic clock is out of sync with this year’s graduates. As much as we celebrate our graduates’ achievements, jobs are scarce and hard to find. As discouraging as this may seem, it does provide an opportunity for motivated graduates to set themselves apart from the rest of the group by doing something different. Consider finding and applying for an internship. If you’re going to sit at home unemployed, you might as well become an intern at the company you’d like to work for and see if you can use it as a stepping stone to gain employment when the opportunity arises. This is a perfect time for graduates to get their foot in the door, check out the employer first hand, and to prove themselves as a potential employee while still feeling the excitement of graduating and reveling in their success.
Before signing off, however, I’d like to take a moment to thank those who made all the graduations possible. Your sacrifices and steadfast saving enabled your graduate to become a better person. And to the graduates I’d like to say, “Congratulations! Now go on out there, make us proud, and transform that diploma into the life you dream of!”
© 2009 Start Smart Advisor
