Essay/Term paper: Graduation

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Biography

Graduation


I can still remember it like yesterday. It was June 6, 1994, the day of
my high school graduation. This day is the single most important day of my life.
This day was so important to me because it was the first thing I had to work
really hard on to accomplish. For the first time in my life I felt as if I
really could succeed in something. It helped to change my life.
It started out like just another day but things would quickly change. I
woke up at 7:00 a.m., which is extremely early by my standards, with
anticipation of the day I had been waiting for. After sitting around for 3
hours I made my way over to Ludlow High School. The graduating class was to be
there for 10:00 a.m. to pick up our cap and gown. The principal, Mr. James
Cavallo, called out everyone"s name and proceeded to hand them their cap and
gown. When he finally handed me my gown I quickly took it and sat to me admire
it. Its funny how the simplest things can symbolize a whole new beginning. I
sat and looked at this ugly maroon gown with this weird looking square hat.
The ceremonies were to be held at the Mullins Center on the campus of
the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. The ceremonies were to begin at
7:00p.m., yet I had to be there at 6:00p.m.. When everyone arrived we
rehearsed on how we were to walk in and where we were going to sit. You could
the excitement in everyone"s eyes. No one could wait for the moment in which our
diplomas would be handed to us. They lined us up by height with the boys to one
side and the girls to the other. Each boy was paired up with a girl and was to
walk in side by side with her when the ceremonies began. Once the couple reached
the grandstands, where each member of the graduating class would be sitting ,
they were to separate with the girls going left and the boys to the right until
everyone was seated.
The time finally arrived . It was 7:00p.m. and the music had begun to
play. We started our slow march to the grandstands and I could here the crowd
cheering. I looked up to take a look at the audience and quickly found my
family waving their hands around in excitement. It felt like we had just won a
sporting championship and had arrived home to our beloved fans. I sat through
about an hour of boring speeches which I could not tell you one single thing
about. I tried to seem interested in what was being said at the platform to my
right but I just couldn"t concentrate. My mind kept wandering to the moment why
I was sitting through this nonsense. Finally I saw my principal stand up and
then I knew it was time. He gave a brief five minute speech and started
calling out names. When my name was finally called I had a funny feeling come
about me. It was a feeling that I have not experienced since. My heart felt
like it dropped into my stomach and I got this cold shivering which produced
goose bumps all over my me. That brief moment had come and gone and now it was
time to celebrate.
Not only was my high school graduation the first step in helping me to
get to college but it gave me the confidence that I could do anything if I
really put my mind to it. If I had not graduated I would of felt like I couldn"t
accomplish anything.