I quickly got ready and headed to the University of St. Thomas St. Paul campus to graduate with my Educational Specialist Degree and K-12 Principal License. I have worked on this degree for the past two years and can't believe how quickly they flew by. Anyone that knows me, knows that I love to go to school. I love to continue to learn and stay on top of the most recent best practices in teaching. My next step is to get my Doctorate, but I will be waiting for awhile to begin that program.
I met my friends, Mark and Liz, from my cohort. A lot of our other cohort members couldn't make it to graduation since it was on Memorial Day Weekend. We ran into our advisor, Dave Peterson and all posed for a picture. Dave was the man who led us all through the program and kept encouraging us all the way through to finish. He was a fabulous advisor!
I also was able to be reunited with my advisor, Dr. Amy Smith, from my Master's program at St. Thomas. Amy and I live by each other, so we used to car pool to class while I was working on my Master's. She was not only my advisor but also my friend. It was nice to reconnect with her and chat about how we could work together in the future in the college field. WOW! I wonder what adventures lie ahead?
The most important person I wanted to see was my dad! My dad has really been there for me in all aspects of my life. We don't always agree or get along, but I love him dearly. He taught me the importance of education and helped instill in me the motivation to learn and always keep learning. I hope to inspire and encourage him to go back and get his Masters. There is no one else that I would have wanted to share this day with me, than my precious, dear dad! However, I wish Hailey and Ezzie could have been there, but I don't think it would be fair to make them sit through it quietly. They will enjoy looking at the pictures and wearing my cap and gown around the house much better!
After the graduation ceremony, we headed to the National Cemetery at Fort Snelling. My Grandma and Grandpa, my dad's parents are buried there. I haven't been out there to visit their site yet and thought this weekend would be a good one to visit them. My Grandma Mattson was so special to me and I wish she could be here now to meet Hailey and Ezzie. She would have adored them and taught them so many things. Most of all, she would have showered them with unconditional love and encouragement. My Grandma was my biggest fan, support, and encourager. I miss her dearly and wish I could still get her letters in the mail. She would write me letters to encourage me in my strengths and guide me in my character and who God created me to be. She was amazing! I didn't get to know my Grandpa well until after Grandma passed away. Grandpa was such a funny guy and he showered us with love. I think he did this more when Grandma was gone, because he knew he needed to take over for her in her absence. I came to appreciate him and his silence at times.
My dad and I share some very special memories that I will never forget, this being one of them.
After we visited Grandma and Grandpa Mattson, I told dad we should go look for his buddy from highschool that was killed in Vietnam, Rick Hammer. Rick Hammer and I have obviously never met, however, I know him well through the stories that dad has shared with me. I also scratched a copy of his name from The Wall in Washington, DC for my dad when I was there in highschool. The amazing part of this story is that my dad remembered what section Rick Hammer was buried and by the exact tree. My dad's memory is eery! YIKES! We visited Rick's grave and I think I saw my dad thanking God for the last 40 years he got to live, because his buddy Rick was not so fortunate.
What a fabulous day! This day was filled with so many emotions and a lot of thankfulness. I have never had a Memorial Weekend like this one, one that will be memorable for a lifetime. If only I can instill all that I learned today to Hailey and Ezzie. My prayer to teach them and do right by them. WOW! What a huge responsibility, yet also a wonderful adventure!
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