Written on April 25th, 2008 at 11:49pm |
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Change, even good change, is almost always difficult, I’m convinced.
The reality of all this sank in today. As of tomorrow, I am not a student I am not an undergrad student anymore. And on Tuesday, I will enter the working world for real.
It was at the “Honors College Recognition Ceremony”, aka Honors Mini Graduation, aka Lots of Pointless Speeches and Other Boring Stuff. I only went because Dr. Anderson strong-armed me into going. “Consider it your final service to the department.” (He knows I’d do nearly anything in the name of “service to the department”.) They did have a chocolate fountain at this event, which made it easier to put up with the pointless speeches. And I got a cool stole and medallion (pictured above) which I get to wear tomorrow with my the rest of my graduation regalia. If I’m going to wear a blue shroud and one of those hats that make EVERYBODY look absolutely stupid, at least I get to accessorize it with extra doodads that proclaim how intellectually special I am. (snerk.)
And so there we were at this ceremony (we being Devin and I and all of the professors in our department except for the one on sabbatical) sitting around listening to name after name being called up to get their special doodads and shake hands with the dean and whatnot and I’m trying not to fall asleep, I’m just so impressed with the lameness of it all. And then I called to mind my first day of school, my first class. It was Greek 101, 209 Lake Superior Hall. I crept in, scrutinizing my schedule, toting my new backpack, hoping I was in the right classroom, and I sat down next to one of the handsomest guys I’d ever seen in real life. And I admit it–I dropped my pencil on purpose.
Devin and I sat next to each other for the entire semester. And the one after that. And then in our sophomore year, we had identical class schedules and sat next to each other in Latin and Classical World. And things continued this way. We’re good friends, but we’ve never talked excessively. I don’t think we have to. We just get each other. He can get kind of cocky sometimes. I think he’s allowed, seeing as he’s arguably the most intelligent and dedicated scholar the Classics department has ever seen.

{my senior thesis was to write a unit study on Roman Citizenship for use in high school and undergrad classrooms.}
Devin and I were both nominated for “Outstanding Honors Senior Thesis” awards. Devin won. I’m proud of him.
The Lord knew what he was doing when he put Devin and I together in Greek 101, and I feel so fortunate to have shared my academic career with him. He was the Gilbert Blythe to my Anne Shirley (although I’m pretty sure our story won’t end like theirs did!)–there was always, always, always the drive to one-up Devin. He generally scored higher than me on everything, by about a half a point. But once in awhile, victory was mine, and it was sweet. I wouldn’t have tried so hard, if I didn’t have Devin.
Who would have known? When we first met, I was an art major, and he was going to transfer out of GVSU as soon as he possibly could. Yet here we were. We’ve learned so much and come so far and experienced so much together. I feel like Devin and I are the yin and yang of Classics…Devin is the scholar. I am the….the what? The free spirit, maybe. He and I, we are so different. Yet so alike. And four years later, we’ve come full circle. And he’s off to grad school and I’m going to work at a big girl job. I sat there reflecting on all of this as the Honors director continued droning off names, and I began to weep like a baby.
It’s so over.
I cannot imagine staying at Grand Valley another year–I loved school but it’s really time for me to take all that I’ve learned and live with it. I am excited about my amazing new job and can’t wait to start it (which happens way too soon, on Tuesday). Yet even though I know I need to move on, and even though I know the future holds amazing things, it’s still so hard. Because the past was amazing, too. And I’m scared to leave behind the place and the people that I was so close with. I cried a lot on the way home, and I believe I will continue to cry. I’m not ashamed of it.
Speaking of my amazing new job, I am the new rockstar in the department. I have the official distinction of being the Most Gainfully Employed Graduate of the Year. (Going out in a blaze of glory is fun.) All of a sudden, I am the poster child for “Classicists can too get jobs!!!!111″. Soon my face will be plastered up on the department website, and I have been informed that my story will forever be an inspiration to Classics students despairing of employment. Today I popped in at the department before the ceremony. It was deserted of students, but Ginny and most of the faculty were there. One of the professors had produced a bottle of red wine from some corner of their office, and another came up with some cheese, and they had just succeeded in opening the wine with a letter-opener and a drywall screw, when I walked in. “Brittany’s here!” Dr. Anderson exclaimed. “We must have a toast for her new job.” Ginny poured the wine, all raised their glasses and fell silent, and Dr. Levitan said simply, “To you.” “Hear hear,” was the reply, and everyone drank.
It was absolutely precious.
And now, I will begin my capstone paper, which I intend to write all tonight. I dislike all-nighter writing marathons, but this particular one shall be a celebration, for tonight I write, and tomorrow I will have become an alumna.
Neatly filed under The Daily Blah
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