Let Us Commence

  Have you ever noticed that we view graduation as the end - of high school, your childhood, etc? But we actually call it Commencement.  Have you considered what exactly is "commencing"? Once you walk across that stage and take that diploma, what begins?
  Many see graduation from high school as the beginning of freedom, but really it is the beginning of responsibility.  You have to be responsible for getting yourself up, dressed, to school or work, for doing what you are suppose to do, and making good choices.  You parents won't know where you are all the time. They can't see your grades a couple of times a week.  That may sound great, but that also means they aren't responsible for the end result.
   The next period of your life can be the absolute best. There are people to meet and places to go. So much to be learned. You will change and develop as a person - hopefully for the best, but that won't be true for everyone. There will be times of tremendous leisure but also of looming deadlines and exams for which you need to study.  There will be late night meals and spontaneous road trips, but there will also be difficult, life altering decisions to be made.
   Commencement is the beginning of the road to who you will become. Not just a profession - but that is certainly part of it - but as a person. The decisions you make, the choices you face, and the path that you choose is freshly laid out for you. So tread lightly. Think about what you are doing and how you are doing it.  Know that you are laying the bricks for your foundation - every day.
   Be kind. Make wise choices. Know that there will be potential employers who want to know your college GPA - maybe not many, but there will be some.  Don't fall prey to the lie that as long as you have a degree no one will care what kind of grades you made.  That just simply is not true. Go to class.  Visit with your professors. And remember that even though you are commencing to the next stage of life, there are people from this stage who care about you and that want the very best for you.
  Congratulations Class of 2015! You have made it to the end - so Happy Commencement!