This was my fourth SME graduation ceremony. As I watched the seniors pack the auditorium before walking out in those awful powder-blue robes, I ruminated on my graduation.
Sion dressed us in long formal white gowns, gave us three long stem red roses, and we were crowned with a garland of flowers by the headmistress. All very normal. The page holding the garland of flowers on a silk pillow might have been a little much. Of course, the voting for the white gown was a little contentious. Nolte's (specializes in wedding gowns) provided us with a runway show. I never really wondered how much money my parents sunk into that graduation until I started typing this. Oh and our class rings were originally designed by Cartier. I still wear that ring. And I don't know what happened to my gown. But I do know that my high school skinny body is gone, so perhaps it's best not to think too much on that!
But I digress, watching my "kids" walk across the stage is always somewhat poignant. They really are on to bigger and better things. I can only pray that something I said at some point in my classes sunk in. Mostly, I'm a little envious. They really are on to what changes their lives and even the cynical little stoner in the row behind me giggled a couple of times. I've been reading articles on the graduation rate in America and it seems that we are getting dumber and less educated. Moreover, more and more graduates are choosing the "year off" option. But these SME kids are definitely a class apart. 14 million in scholarship money and despite the crazy afro on one of the Top 10 candidates, there are some kids that make me pause for a minute with their intelligence. Though that's definitely a different post!
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My favorite story of a teacher influencing his students came from my high school history/government teacher. He said he ran into a former student of his in a grocery store, nearly ten years after he'd had him in class. The student was thrilled to see him again (he really was a great teacher), and after they caught up for a minute, the student said, "do you know what I've always remembered from your class?" The teacher got so excited, thinking to himself, "what was it that I taught him that he's remembered all these years? Surely it had to be something really interesting an important!" He stood there eager in anticipation to hear the one thing he managed to impart to this young mind that had stayed with him for so many years.
ReplyDelete"Well," the student said, "I remember I could always tell that your wife hung your sweaters after she washed them, because they always had those little hanger creases on the shoulders."
Hopefully your kids will remember something a little more worthwhile from you. :) And congrats on finishing another year!!
Lol-well that sounds about right. My students remember that I wear a lot of dresses. And that one time that one of my kids made me an oragami duck. Then again, those are my favorite memories, too :-) Wish you were here, by the way, going through these personal narratives is pretty powerful stuff and I would love to be able to share them with a fellow English major :-)
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