After two incredible years, I am officially a graduate from my graduate program! I have dreamt of pursuing a graduate degree for nearly as long as I dreamt of pursuing a bachelor’s degree, so this was an exciting feat for me to officially reach. Holding a graduate assistantship, having 3 internships, serving as the president of two clubs, persisting in a global pandemic, starting a full-time job before graduating and completing my coursework with a cumulative 4.0 made it a CRAZY season of life, but I am so grateful for these couple of years.
Traveling back to Oxford after being away for six weeks led to an action packed weekend packed full with sweet memories! I started my time in town with the Student Personnel Association, an organization that meant a lot to me as I served as the President throughout the pandemic. We had our inaugural “Cords and Cocktails” event to celebrate graduation, and we had a fun night of superlatives following the event. It was so great to reminisce on our two years together.
A huge part of my final two years at the University of Mississippi was my team at the Student Union. Serving as a Graduate Assistant in this office taught me so much about what it means to be a successful student affairs professional, advisor, colleague and event planner, and celebrating with this group was so fun.
I couldn’t have done this without my parents, so having them in Oxford to celebrate made it even more special. I am so blessed to have such supportive parents who modeled the way for me. Both of them have master’s degrees (and are the first in their families to do so), so getting to add that second set of letters to my signature because of the path they paved was so special.
The graduation was the first in-person commencement ceremony since the pandemic began, so it was such a relief getting to celebrate the end of my degree program in a non-virtual setting. Packing the Pavilion (in a socially distant manner) made the festivities feel extra special. I couldn’t have done it without my amazing friends I made in this program!
It wouldn’t have been a spring weekend in Oxford without some baseball! I was so happy to be in Swayze for my final game as a student.
It would not have been graduation without grad photos! Taking pictures with my friends Emily and Molly was a really fun way to document our time.
I will cherish these memories that encapsulate the dedication, joy, difficulty, and growth that came from this season. I was afraid that I had “peaked” in my first four years in Oxford when I reluctantly decided to stay for my master’s program, so God truly showed up and showed out as He blessed me with rich experiences and precious people in my final two years in the 662. I am abundantly grateful for this season! And now I am officially onto the next adventure! <3
