It’s amazing how it seems four years of your life turn into two ceremonies, a party and one piece of paper.

Is this what it really means to graduate?

No. Graduation means so much more. It means that you endured four years of classes, papers, exams and presentations. It means you survived late nights, early mornings, parties, fights, friendships, losing friendships, relationships. But most importantly, graduation means you accomplished an incredible feat.

Now, I may be speaking just for myself here, but I’ve grown so much in the past four years. I have learned who in my life is a true friend and who is not. I have eliminated unhealthy relationships. I have established personal standards when it comes to developing new, healthy relationships. I have grown more confident in everything I do. I have strengthened my work ethic. I have learned what it feels like to be in a high leadership role. I have gained experience dealing with all kinds of people. These past for years do not just culminate in one little piece of paper to me.

The friendships I have made in college will outlast time. At several of the graduation barbeques I attended this past weekend, the ambiance was not as celebratory as I had expected. Most of these friends were sad to be leaving this stage in their lives. Don’t get me wrong, I cried too. But I can honestly say I have never received so many bear hugs in one weekend.

Yes, the world is changing around us graduates. Yes, we are thrown out into the “real world” (whatever that is) now. But we will always have each other. No matter where we are scattered around the United States and abroad, we will always have each other and the memories we made.

The knowledge I have gained from my classes will help me in the workforce. I’ll be honest; some of the classes I took were a total waste of time. But the ones that weren’t made up for it. My professor, Jan Whitt, opened my eyes to Women and Popular Culture. Trager, of course, taught me the ins and outs of First Amendment Law. And Amy Herdy, well, Amy taught me more than I can put into words.

I am so thankful for the opportunity I had to go to college.

Now it’s time to take my life into my own hands and turn my dreams into realities. I know it sounds cliché, but I wholeheartedly believe that anything is possible. I am young. I am able. And I am more than willing to reach for the stars.

I had the privilege of going to college, and I chose to succeed

No matter what the “rate of unemployment” is, I will find a great job. As Milton Berle once said, “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.”

So, I’ll build my own door, and then I’ll come-a-knockin’.

Today, I will put on my black gown, cap and red tassle. Today, I will walk down the isle of Macky Auditorium when my name is called. Today, I will receive my diploma (or at least a book to put it in). Today, is the culmination of my college career. 

Today, I graduate. 

I am full of so many mixed emotions on this day; I’m not certain how I can even explain them. There are so many thoughts – so many memories that keep flashing through my head, just five hours shy from graduation. 

I remember… 

• Freshman year – living in the dorm, trying to curl my hair while checking Facebook
• The endless “bathroom talks” my girlfriends from our dorm floor used to have
• Shower-shoes
• My best friend’s cot that we used for visitors
• The Sig-Ep house with the red door (and the walks of shame home Saturday mornings)
• Burning my Telecommunications book at the end of the semester (even though I learned so much)
• My roommate’s 18^th Birthday and how I dragged her to Fascinations
• Our Red Robin Birthday tradition
• Mach Heroes
• The Russians (and the lap dances that always occurred when we were with them)
• Halloween (there’s truly nothing like a holiday where girls hardly wear clothes)
• Theme parties
• Best friend photo shoots
• New Years in November
• Foam pits
• Dinner at the Cheesecake Factory with all the girls on my dorm floor
• Snowed in
• Birthday fiascos
• The Campus Press/CU Independent parties (and long, stressful nights)
• Angels and Devils
• Hookah
• Spring Break adventures
• Country Jam (Do you like it? Do you like it!)
• Buffalo Wild Wings (the great people I met there, and all the bullshit that went on)
• 2 a.m. Wendy’s runs
• CU vs. CSU (RAM THIS!)
• Moving into my first apartment
• Getting Izzy (she was so tiny, we had to put a bell on her so we wouldn’t lose her)
• Pearl Street (shopping, dining and bars)
• Kissing the buffalo on my 21^st
• Dancing at ‘Round Midnight
• Vegas
• Dinner parties
• Making it four years without an 8 a.m. class!
• Laying by the pool during summertime (even though the pool is always freezing)
• Jumping in the pool in the middle of the night because our apartment is so hot
• L.A.
• The peanuts at The Walrus
• Movie/Wine nights
• 80’s night
• Fourth of July fireworks at Folsom
• Football games
• Singing the fight song at the top of my lungs
• CU Spirit

This list could go on forever. There are so many memories from the last four years. I’ll add to this as I think of more.

When my parents (and just about every other adult I knew in High School) told me that college was the best four years of my life, I didn’t believe them. Now that I’ve spent four years in Boulder, Colorado at CU, I believe them.

I’m sure this will be one of many blog postings about graduation, but it is heavily on my mind.

Graduation is 34 days away. And I am full of emotions – I am terrified, sad, excited, nervous, but ready. I have spent four years on the breathtaking campus of the University of Colorado in Boulder. My college experience has been full of ups and downs, but all-in-all, wonderful.

Now, it’s time to set me free.

Up to this point, my life has been entirely planned out for me. Preschool, kindergarten, grade school, middle school, high school, college … then what? I guess that’s for me to figure out.

People say that I couldn’t be graduating at a worse time. That the economy is so bad right now I will never find a job. That people with 30 years experience are looking for the same jobs I’m looking for straight out of college.

But, I choose to remain positive.

While everyone is moping around thinking, “I’m never going to find a job in this crappy economy,” I will be proactive. That’s the key. Nothing is ever going to fall into your lap. No opportunity worth taking is going to magically appear right in front of you. You have to fight. You have to be aggressive and prove that you are worth hiring despite the current economic conditions.

And I am.

I am confidently approaching the job search, knowing I am well-qualified, outgoing, aggressive, personable, self-motivated and determined to succeed after graduation. I am taking advantage of any and every opportunity that comes my way and that I seek out. I am positioning myself to be a good hire despite the economy, despite the negativity, despite the hiring freezes.

And I will be when I am hired.