Graduations

It’s June 2013. One grandson recently received a master degree in architecture from Harvard. Another grandson graduated from high school. Congratulations and best wishes to them! I’ve been thinking about my graduations.

High School

I graduated from London High School, London, Ohio in the early 1960s. I don’t have any memories of this evening. I haven’t found any pictures. It would be nice if I’d been keeping a journal back then. The program indicates our ceremony was 8:30 in the evening. That seems very late. Leonard Mann, the minister of the Methodist Church we attended, gave the invocation at the graduation.

Pomp and Circumstance was played as the seniors walked into the gym for the ceremony. I remember being coached about how to walk to this traditional music. Our class was 115 students according to the commencement program.

I don’t remember going to graduation parties. I don’t think the school had the all night parties that are now held. My friends and I were not the “popular” group and we weren’t big partiers. I’m sure there must have been get togethers but I don’t recall them.

Bachelor Degree

April 1967 Miami University

Bachelor of Arts – Miami University, Oxford, Ohio -mid1960s

Once John and I started talking marriage, we decided to accelerate my college career. I took a big load of courses and went to summer school in order to finish in three years. This way I would work while John finished his senior year of college. I need to see if I can find any more about this because I switched majors after my freshman year so I probably had to do some backtracking in coursework. I started out in paper technology and changed to German – there are many stories attached to these decisions.

We have pictures of this graduation, along with my diploma and the commencement program. Family came to Oxford to celebrate this special day with me.

Master Degree

Master of Arts – The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio - early 1970s

When I started teaching students with disabilities, I knew I needed to take additional coursework to earn certification and further qualify me to work in a field for which I had no previous training (that’s a whole other story). It only made sense to set a goal for a master degree. That would give me the knowledge I needed, help me qualify for additional certifications, and boost me up the pay scale.

I took a course or two each quarter, in the evenings, for a number of years until I earned the degree. I have my diploma and the commencement program. My memory is that I did not attend the graduation exercises. There are no pictures from Mom’s and Dad’s albums or from ours. I was very focused on jumping through the hoops and getting that piece of paper so I could move on with other goals.

Reflections

As I was going through items in my files, I found it interesting that the printed material referenced “commencement.” Most people use the word “graduation.” At the time we’re probably more focused on being finished with something, graduating. In reality we are commencing a new phase of our lives.

In high school I was part of a number of choruses. I have vivid memories of singing “You’ll Never Walk Alone” at a graduation. I would have said it was my own graduation but that song doesn’t appear on the commencement program. So it must have been when I was a sophomore or junior. I don’t think I would have been greatly moved by the song in my freshman year. I had only a superficial understanding of the words but something in the message reached my heart. We are never alone on our journeys here. Family, friends, and God are always with us – if we invite them along.

The Holtons are a very matter-of-fact, onward and upward kind of family. Other than birthdays, we didn’t celebrate many milestones. I continued that approach. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve often wished I’d done more to make a bigger deal of accomplishments along the way – created more memories – or at least taken more pictures and kept a journal!

I love the learning process. For the most part, I enjoyed high school and my various college experiences. Mom and Dad were great supporters of teachers. They valued and promoted education. They were wonderful examples of life-long learning. I am thankful for the opportunities I have had to go to college and to earn these degrees. I am very grateful that I’ve had a desire to continue learning throughout my life.