Well, it is done. We can rest…at least for a little while.

Another year at college has come to a close. Last night, just a few hours ago, most of my family enjoyed something very special together…my daughter, my wife, and I all walked across the stage of our college, at graduation commencement exercises at Central Wyoming College.

This past year, between all three of us, we earned five degrees. Daughter Laurie earned Associates of Arts degrees in English and Technical Theater. My wife Annie earned Associate of Arts in English and Associates of Arts in Social Science. I finished my Associates of Applied Science in Computer Networking Technology in Web Development with highest honors.

One after another, with Annie in the lead, we strode across the stage, son Kenny pushing Annie in her wheelchair so she could accept her diploma and shake hands…then Laurie…and finally me. Son Robert and daughter in law Candi couldn’t be there, unfortunately. Candi just had our first grandson only 6 days ago, by the name of Hudson James, and a long trip across country after a very long weekend in labor just wouldn’t do. We’ll get them a DVD of the commencement.

MANY of our friends and fellow students here at CWC also earned degrees, awards, certificates and honors, including Ruhiyuh Olsen, Jolyn Zwemer, Jackie Dorothy, my coworkers at the KCWC radio station Lisa Johnson and Justin Dickman, Ryan Jevne, Lydia Dove (the OTHER web development graduate this year), Kim Ogg, several of my fellow student senators, and over 250 other graduates.

It was an amazing night…much more of a wonderful evening than we could have hoped for. I mean, we were all graduating together. That in and of itself was so cool. Before the major work of the evening progressed, we had a musical interlude provided by the CWC Jazz Ensemble, which just happens to feature our son Kenny as the guitar player/stylist/melody guy. Laurie’s best friend Cameron Fehring provided the vocals for the song that played, and it was over all too fast. But then, something even better happened.

I mentioned many weeks ago that I was named to the All-USA Academic Team for community colleges, a couple of weeks after I was named a New Century Scholar for 2006, for the State of Wyoming. Well, as a second team member of the All-USA team, I didn’t make the cut to receive a scholarship. That is reserved for first team members.

Tonight, I found out what second team members receive. After the presentation of the Valedictorians, I was next on stage…by myself with the administration and faculty. President Jo Anne McFarland read a very nice prepared statement about my winning both the New Century Scholar award, and making the 2nd team of the All-USA Academic Team. She then presented me with a beautiful medallian, very heavy and gold plated, on a red, white and blue ribbon. I had to remove my mortarboard hat so she could place it over my head. It was a little snug on my noggin, but she was able to get it on without problems, only knocking my glasses slightly askew, which she very deftly straightened for me. She also presented me with very nice framed parchment certificate from the All-USA Academic Team organization and USA Today.

I found myself with the opportunity to speak to the graduating class, the audience, the faculty, and ALL the rest of the people there watching. Did I mention that Wyoming Public TV was broadcasting the entire commencement on LIVE TV?

I didn’t think I was going to be offered the chance to say something, so I didn’t really prepare. I figured if I did get the chance, I was going to thank my family. S0, I did. I mentioned that without the support of my wife and children, I would not have been able to come back to college to finish the degrees I started over 27 years ago. I also was able to spit out, in the swirling, blinding TV lights, that I wanted to thank the college and faculty for helping make all this possible.

But I didn’t get to the point of getting to mention specific names of those such as Steve Ferwerda and Dale Smith (my two main instructors and advisors while here on campus the last 36 months or so), Terry Svilar (who gave me my first on campus job in the business lab, where Annie has been working for the past two years now), the Student Success Center (where I’ve been tutoring in many subjects almost as soon as I started here), Danielle Hood (one of the first people I saw, when I came to inquire with the college about returning to school after so many years, and How Was I Going To Pay For It…she made it all happen for me and helped me finalize the decision to return)… and on and on for dozens of other folks who have made it all worth while.

Nope, went completely blank after thanking the family and the college..said thank you to Jo Anne, and the administration…and the audience for their support, and turned to head off stage and back to my seat in the front row.

Drats… Maybe Next Time.

After that, the march of students receiving their diplomas, the exit of the students and faculty, and the reception in the Arts Center afterwards, where a couple of thousand folks mingled over cookies and punch….taking pictures and videos, saying farewells, and heading out.

We hung around to the hall was almost empty. Dozens of teachers, fellow students, faculty, friends, and even strangers came over to where we were hugging one of the walls as a family unit, with Terry S. and others hanging out with us, and shook hands, exchanged hugs, said congrats, and spent a few moments just being friends…in other words, it was a wonderful night for the entire family.

Afterwards, Annie and I went out for a burger and shake, drove west of town for a few miles, just past the airport up on the hill, found a nice wide spot off the side of the road overlooking the airport, and the town of Riverton below in the Wind River Basin, and enjoyed some quite time looking at the stars and the full moon, while staving off a bit of hunger.

We both took a lot of deep, satisfying breaths…concerning our completion of this phase of our college careers, talking a little about our summer plans, and a few things we’d like to do together THIS summer, that we have been putting off to get through school.

We’ve going to hit Yellowstone this year, go camping up in the Sinks, and maybe Boysen Resevoir, try do some flyfishing I’ve been wanting to do ever since we moved up here, and finally, put all the work and new skilks I have planned into getting my website ready and working with state of the art technology I just earned a college degree in.

Next fall, a return to the books, with plans for both of us to earn bachelor’s degrees, and then I’ll start on that Masters Degree I want to finish with in Homeland Security soon after.

Now…a summer of fun, some peace and quiet, and some planning for how we’ll spend the REST of our lives after college degrees earned at middle age.

Oh yes…and time will be WELL spent…playing grandma and grandpa to two wonderful, beautiful, and incredible grandkids. It’s going to be a great summer.

Til next time,

Rich