Graduation season is one of my favorite times of the year here at FLOC. The graduation can be a middle school, high school or college graduation, but the feeling is always the same. You walk into a room of proud parents, filled with excitement, nudging other parents out of their way so they can capture the perfect picture of their child.  Chatty graduates that are anxiously waiting for the opportunity to walk across the stage (without tripping) to get the degree they have worked so hard for while listening to the applause and shout outs from all of their loved ones in the audience. It is one of the only times where students can see the fruit of their hard work and a time for others to reflect on their own child/early adulthood with pride. While the speeches and music are inspiring, I would say that my favorite part is after the recessional. For about fifteen minutes, you are surrounded by flowers, balloons and hugging. Pictures are taken to forever capture this accomplishment and best of all, “thank you’s” and “I am so proud of you’s” can be heard over and over again. Graduations remind me of why I have chosen to be in this line of work. We all deserve a time in our life when the focus is on our accomplishments, and helping students achieve a goal on their path to adulthood is a great feeling.

(Sara Dia is the Scholars Program Specialist at FLOC).

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