I graduated this week. I have officially made it through the Arizona State University system, and I received my Master of Public Administration. It feels good to be done. Technically I graduated with a 4.0, although if A+'s were worth more, my final GPA was 4.12, (it would have been higher if I didn't get an A- in economics, but, whatever).
My parents flew in from Utah this week to join in the festivities, and Kerri was able to take vacation for most of the week. Ella quickly fell in love with my mom and dad, and would not do anything without Grandma. I'm pretty sure that Ella had more fun, but Grandma was a good sport.
The University Graduate Commencement was on Wednesday morning. In someways it was better than BYU's, and in someways it wasn't. It was definitely more a party. ASU honored some of the graduates that achieved excellence in their studies by putting their picture and degree on the JumboTron before the ceremony, they asked for my information, so before the ceremony my face was flashed on the big screen.
Only 15 students were part of the processional, those students carried the gonfalons (try saying that without smiling). BYU doesn't have gonfalons, but they are basically banners that say the different college names on them. ASU picked 15 students that had high academic achievement to carry the gonfalons, and I was asked. So I carried my college's (the College of Public Programs) gonfalon into the ceremony ahead of the University President. Not all 15 students were able to carry their college gonfalon. There is a theory among family members that this is an indication that I was the top of my class. I have a hard time believing that that was really the case.
At the ceremony on Wednesday, they read every graduate student name as they walked across the stage. Some people almost fell of the front of it, but I was not one of them. However, I did mess up and not walk the proper route to my seat. Realizing I didn't give my parents a good photo op, I got up (I was on the front row) and walked up into the stands of the Wells Fargo Arena, and stood in the aisle so I could get good pictures. The only thing I found memorable about the things said at the ceremony was when President Crow said "Do well, so that you can do good." At the end there was no formal recessional, balloons fell from the ceiling, and rock music was played. It was more fun than BYU's ceremony.
I've decided this post is too long. The rest of the festivities will come in later posts.
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