Let's begin this journey with the initial Kindergarten graduation. For many students this signifies you being able to color, recite and count hopefully your fingers/toes. This is the extent for the average Joe and as far as the world many still don't know. This step however propels one into the realm called education that is slightly more tolerable then taking ones medication.
Then you move on up the ladder of school success as you graduate from High School. No longer you say to yourself do I have to listen to mom/dads rules. However I would pause for a minute to ask:
Riddle me this and riddle me that who is now going to be the one making sure that you do this and that?
For many students they would have not the slightest clue about that question. They now feel that they have crossed the threshold of no longer being a little girl/boy and have an amazing rush of exuberance an unbridled joy. Next up is college, a job and so much more. For each student at this point their potential is untapped and who really knows what's in store.
Then on down the line hopefully comes a collegiate graduation of some kind. The question at this point becomes:
Who's going to the be the one to keep you steady and on track?
This is the one that no one saw coming and rarely gets completed on time. You see many get to this stage of life and either go fast or slow and parents only hope that they at least go. You see this is the trip of a lifetime with books/learning being the furthest thing from most students mind. This is the time where one is able to discover and find that the inner kid wasn't really left far behind. This is the first real moment of truth where one has to look in the mirror wondering what happened to my youth. You see these are the ultimate days where actually taking a nap would be great but most have to find a job that pays. The bills begin to come in steadily and now one realizes that this thing called life is really real.
For those who are able to make it through undergraduate and find a job in there chosen career field, going back for more and to become a master of your subject makes for stronger hire appeal. You see getting the additional education is often what separates the followers from the leaders. This time is often where one finds out what late night study sessions and 2:00 am value meal deals are all about. When one completes this stage the the sudden urge for many is to shout because one assumes that they finally figured out what the game of education is all about.
Then for those who are seeking an even higher ground the Ph. D program can be found. This program truly weeds out the real from the fake and leaves no doubt about experiencing education heart break. You see at this stage no longer can one fake it until they make it. The course of study is grueling for all who take it and at the end one can only hope to make it. The finish line begins close but o so far away. However for those who endure to the end they ultimately make it to the FINAL graduation day. The day is filled with emotion no doubt because now truly the Doctor knows the magic cure and how to figure this thing called graduation out!
The walking and completing of the task is the ultimate lure but the uncertainty of what comes next is what we are in need of finding a cure. Stop by #nbtchat if you have an hour on your hands to help those out to make post graduation plans. Bring your funny commencement speech stories and how you stayed up late cramming but live to tell the story. We will get together and have a grand time of burning the box of how to handle one of the traditional right of passage of man kind! So get ready because it's GRADUATION TIME!!!!
Below are some friends and family who have just completed each stage of graduation discussed in the blog post:
Jeremiah Lyons - Kindergarten - Texas
Tyler Hill - High School - Arkansas
Chaun Williams - Undergraduate - University of Texas at Arlington
Tammara Marion - Masters - Stephen F. Austin
Eric Thomas - Ph. D - Michigan State University
