Hello, World.
It’s been a little less than a week since I graduated college (!!!), and honestly it’s been the biggest whirlwind. I moved home on Monday for the summer, and graduation on Saturday was a great day, despite a little rain and a whole lot of hectic goodbyes. I hate goodbyes, and I hated even more saying bye to some of my closest friends and the place I’ve called home for the last four years. It’s crazy how quickly college went by. I honestly cannot even believe I already graduated and will be on my way to Virginia for law school in August. Anyway, I wanted to share my graduation day, and all the people who made it special!
The morning of graduation my sister and mom came by my room to say hello. The waterworks started early… as my mom started crying as soon as she saw me all ready to graduate. I love my mom and sister so much and definitely wouldn’t have finished college as strongly or as easily without them! 
All graduates met on the turf field of the college to line up for the procession in, and we had way too much time to do so. A lot of us took advantage of the time to take photos, drink a little champagne, and get to see people before things got crazy! 
The actual graduation ceremony was a bit crazy! It rained… for the first time in over 34 years! Despite getting rained on, the ceremony still went awesome, and one of my best friends, Evelyn, was the valedictorian! She gave an amazing speech about being Gaels for life, the importance of small SMC community things, like the church bells, and the importance of the memories we made in four years. We also had Mahershala Ali as our commencement speaker! He did an amazing job, and I was super inspired by his speech!
Following the Commencement Ceremony, SMC does these mini grad parties for graduates on the campus called plots. They are hard to explain to people who haven’t witnessed them, but they’re awesome, and provide a space for us to say goodbye to people and see a lot of people one final time. My sister decorated my plot, making a cute banner, and spray painting pineapples gold, and picking up SMC brass letters! My mom also made the awesome flower arrangement above. 
My dad did a little toast once the family was at the plot, where he essentially said “good job, you did alright,” sarcastically of course. He was proud of me, and it was a great day! 
All my friends and family who made a stop by my plot made me so happy and the day so much more special. I truly enjoyed the graduation day, even if I was really tired and worn out by the end of it! I’m so thankful for the support and encouragement all of the people above offer me. Truly thankful for the experience I had at SMC. 
I was a little obsessed with my cap… so I made sure to get PLENTY of photos of it! 
After the plots, the family and I went back to the hotel, where my mom had planned a lovely dinner for me! I got to eat dinner and enjoy my family and open graduation gifts. The dinner was so much fun, and everyone had a great time! 
AND that’s a wrap on my SMC experience! I can’t believe its over, but I’m thankful for everyone who touched my life in my time there, and who I will continue to keep in touch with for years to come. I’m forever indebted to SMC for allowing me to grow, become a better and more outgoing person, and for accepting me for who I am. I felt like a fish out of water in high school a majority of the time, but college was truly the best experience I’ve had so far in my life. Without my experience at SMC I wouldn’t be about to embark on an adventure across the country by myself, or would I be going to law school!
Truly,
Callie leigh
