A Major Award

My first reaction to getting that phone call was that it was some sort of police sting operation. You know the one - they find some deadbeat with outstanding parking tickets and call him on the phone.

"You just won a free TV. Come downtown and pick up your prize."

Then, dumbass runs out with his thumb up his ass, "I just won a TV!", but when he gets there, the police are waiting for him and they slap the cuffs on the unsuspecting boob and throw his Free TV ass in jail until they collect their money.

That's what I was thinking.

But it wasn't one of those calls, although I wasn't entirely sure until I saw my name tag and they crossed my name off the list of invited attendees to something they called the Convocation and Recognition Ceremony. Believe it or not, they actually were glad to see me. I didn't get a TV, but I did get a certificate with my name on it (in ink) proclaiming my:

Outstanding academic achievement in Accounting - May 19, 2007

Jeezaloo. They told me that there were a hundred or so students in the Accounting program over the past year, so having the highest GPA of all the graduates is a pretty big deal, I guess. There were also 8 other honorees in the evening student category in other majors and four students were named to the Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. I'm not a Who, but I am a What, as in What do I do now?

I don't know, but I suppose this puts the period on my academic career, although some think it should be a comma and I should pursue my MBA, which would serve to pile more initials after my name and additional paperwork which may or may not be of some benefit.

The ceremony only lasted about an hour, but afterward I was exhausted. I stress heavily over hearing my name called for anything, and I had to hear it twice. Once, to receive the award and again to receive a special book that they presented to all the graduates who attended the ceremony.

I spent 8 years at Widener University in their evening program and it was a wonderful experience. I persevered through a strike at my company; losing my driver's license and having to take the bus and train to school so I wouldn't miss a semester; taking my Statistics final exam with a 104 degree fever (and getting a B+); missed several bike rides, baseball games, vacations, social events and ran up incredible amounts of debt from text books and the 12% of the tuition that my company did not cover. All that, and I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat.

However, the bigger part of the effort came in the achievement and the perspective one gains from higher education and the people I met along the way, including the cute Assistant Director of Academic Advising who rang my phone with the news, and a lot of great professors who fully understood the hardships that adult students face and made us happy that we withstood them and worked our way through the anxiety.

As for Widener as an institution, I highly recommend it.

Now, I have a tag from Katie that I have to attend to. Part 2 coming up, but I gotta go pee now.