To
my cheering section
By Kimberly Pasquis
On-line Forty-Niner
Well,
five years, 40 final exams and four semesters
of the On-line Forty-Niner later and I will
finally be accepting my diploma. When people
ask me if I am excited to be graduating
a shaky ‘yes’ often escapes. After thinking
about it, I realize that I am good at being
a student. I have been doing it for more
than 75 percent of my life.
You hear of professional students, those
that just can’t stay away from the educational
setting who continue advancing their knowledge.
They say its good to continue learning,
to keep exercising your brain. Can I have
that job? I have the art of writing a term
paper down pat. And Scantron exams, I am
the queen of process of elimination. It
just makes sense that when I have finally
honed in on these skills it’s all over.
I think in my final semester I was actually
getting better at not procrastinating. I’ve
finally learned the ease that comes with
organization. (Well I only had one paper
to write this semester.) I think in every
single pamphlet I read on enhancing your
study skills, or classes I would take that
administered the same type of ideas they
would always include that one about procrastination.
But come on we’re students, we live in Long
Beach. We have Second Street, the beach,
downtown. There just always seemed like
something better to do on a Friday night
than work on that eight-page paper on ideas
for improving literacy in intercity high
schools. Certainly an interesting topic
but it’s Friday night.
“Hey Mom and Dad I’m going to continue enhancing
my education for two more years because
I’m good at school.” Probably not. I don’t
think that conversation would go over well.
So I guess the next natural step is continuing
to find a “real job.”
What will fall hold for me now that I will
not have five demanding classes to take
up my time? The start of my professional
life begins, away from a campus seething
with academia. Practical experience, colleagues
with real jobs, 9 to 5, hour lunch breaks,
weekends off. But it’s a step in the right
direction towards “experience required”
on a job listing.
I keep telling myself that I’m ready. But
I have spent 10 challenging semesters at
Cal State Long Beach and even though every
one had its moments I have learned more
in my final semester by holding one of the
most authoritative positions I have ever
had. The On-line Forty-Niner was the best
practical experience I could have had. Considering
I second-guessed my decision in accepting
this position, I would not change it for
the world.
The most interesting and most intelligent
people undergo the trenches of the journalism
department and it has been an honor coming
into contact with all of them. I have faced
the most challenging situations. The most
heated conversations I have ever been involved
in occurred in this newsroom. Yes, we spent
too much time in the basement and rarely
saw the light of day but I wouldn’t want
to spend more time in a confined space like
this one than with any other group of people.
They have pushed me to my absolute limit
of sanity and we are able to turn around
and laugh about it.
I remember the last time I walked in a cap
and gown — it rained. But I cried as I entered
the stadium — because “Pomp and Circumstance”
always makes me cry —from a combination
of excitement and fear. I looked up into
the crowd and found yelling and screaming
maniacs from the stands in ponchos and umbrellas
— I knew that they belonged to me.
I great feeling of relief and happiness
washed over me to the see the great joy
that exuded from that little group of people
from the stands. I can always count on my
cheering section to be there whenever I
need them. Ever since kindergarten when
our class did our tribute to America and
I was dressed in a sheet and a paper red,
white and blue hat on my head, my family
was there. Award ceremonies, dinners, plays
and performances a handful of family sat
in the crowd cheering me on.
Now here I am five years later about to
walk across the stage and shake the hand
of our faithful president in recognition
of my accomplishment. My cheering section
will have doubled and I couldn’t have done
it without their ever-present cheering and
recognizable encouragement. I would be no
one without every single one of you giving
your absolute dedication whenever I needed
it.
So as we all sit under the hot sun in black
robes I urge all families of graduates to
yell their hearts out for your courageous
and talented son, daughter, brother, sister,
niece, nephew, granddaughter, grandson,
friend, mom or dad. You probably put a lot
of effort and money into that piece of paper
as well.
And to Cal State Long Beach’s graduating
class of 2003, congratulations you earned
it.
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