The Graduate

{Me and my madre at a fantastic graduation party my mom threw me. She really is happy, she just forgot to smile apparently!}


I was supposed to be the graduating student with a BA in Integrated Studies the summer of 2008.

The key word being supposed to.


How do I put into words the last two years of my life and what happened?


I shall attempt.


For some reason I seem to always pick the path less walked on, the difficult road. It's been like this all of my life, since I can remember. If there was something that seemed difficult or a challenge, I was and still am the first to want to conquer it. I get annoyed with myself because I wish I would just choose the path that is safe and walked on quite a bit.


Perhaps I would be bored if I were to do that.


The story goes like this. I had put off college for years. I had spent my early 20's traveling the world--a passion I still have.


One day I decided, after being laid off from a job, that it was time to finish college and so my journey with school began.


I changed my degree numerous times and finally decided on Integrated Studies.


Integrated Studies meant that you could choose two areas of your interest and morph them into a degree that is custom fit for you.


While in that program I changed my emphasis twice.


Integrated Studies is the only degree at UVU that required you to write a thesis for a bachelor's.


How typical of me to choose the one degree that would require a long and boring thesis.


Long story short, I had too many odd stumbling blocks along the way to recount. I had to retake one of my intro to thesis writing classes due to the fact that I had changed my emphasis.


Delay #1.


After almost a year of writing this paper I defended it and finally was done with it.


That would be delay #2--it was supposed to take a semester, yeah right!


Then the big one...MATH. The only 2 classes left to graduate.


Oh my woes with math--I can't begin to tell you.


Math was the huge thorn in my side, the boulder, or mountain that seemed impossible to pass and the money sucker. I estimate I spent about $4000 dollars on math alone at UVU.


After being mentally drained from my thesis I had to muster up the energy to pass math.


I got tutors, and failed college algebra.


I took the course online at BYU.


Failed.


And finally this past December after many heartfelt prayers to my Heavenly Father and a blessing, I decided it was time to start from scratch at UVU.


I spoke to my advisor, math advisors and they decided to start me in a math program that would help me pass the first math class required with one on one help from them.


I passed. Hallelujah!


Then in May I began my last math class.


I passed. There are no words to describe the sense of joy I felt.


Last Wednesday as I walked out of the graduation office and was told that I was done and my diploma would be mailed to me in August tears came streaming down my cheeks.


I sat on the lawn of the courtyard at school and sobbed.


Tears of gratitude, tears of joy, tears of a chapter of my life being closed and anticipation for the next chapter of my life to begin.


I once heard a beautiful analogy of how our lives are like a big, beautiful tapestry.


On one side of the tapestry are all the strings tied in knots, intertwining with other colors, frayed edges and it looks like a big mess.


But in reality God is guiding that needle to where it needs to be, tying knots, combining different colors and in the end He is weaving a beautiful tapestry if we let him.


The past two years have been quite possibly some of the most difficult times I've been through and not just with school, but in many other areas as well.


But I have learned to let God lead me a bit more, to let him guide the needle, to tie the knots where needed and trust in His will.


I am nowhere near perfect, and there are so many things that I have yet to learn, but I am slowly learning the ropes.


I am excited for the next phase of my life. There are lots of changes to be happening. I'm applying for work in and out of state and we'll see where I end up going.


I couldn't be happier with the journey I've been on thus far and anticipate what lies ahead.


The world is mine!