DONE!!

I now have my Bachelor of Science Degree in Family Studies & Gerontology from SNU-Tulsa... with perfect attendance and all A's. lol  Yay, me!! :)  I'm so happy and relieved to be done - and very ready for a break!

After we all gave our last presentation over our practicum (the teacher cut our time limit in half at the last minute, but it went well anyway), we signed each others yearbooks, ate cupcakes, then got in a circle and prayed together one last time.  I love that!  Rather than write something new for the blog, I'm just gonna copy and paste a bit of the FSG section of my "Reflections" paper...

          The Family Studies and Gerontology (FSG) program at Southern Nazarene University (SNU) coincides perfectly with my beliefs, values, and goals.  I am very thankful for my experience at SNU over the past 16 months.  I appreciate that we take time to pray for each other, both in and out of class.  The small class size and relaxed atmosphere has been perfect for creating real connections that allow students to learn from each other as well as our instructors.  I have learned a lot from each of my classmates, courses, and professors at SNU.

            My 11 FSG classmates have become friends who challenge and encourage me, both directly and indirectly.  Joan Brown, Beverly Litterell, and Jessica Kelly have each gone out of their way to encourage and support me, and I am so grateful for that.  As a phlegmatic introvert, I love to quietly listen and observe, and I have learned so much from the personal stories shared by each of my SNU friends.  It strengthens my faith in God to see the authenticity and heart of compassion in classmates who have endured great personal crises, including cancer, assault, and the death of beloved family members. I will remember the quiet honesty and sarcastic humor of Megan McCall, the bubbly optimism and friendliness of Annora Gilliss, the compassion and wisdom of Joan Brown, the kindness and determination of Megan Lawrence, the confident eloquence and awesome sense of humor of Jessica Kelly, the personal strength and selfless courage of Amber Brafford, the overflowing vibrant joy and beautiful singing voice of Kelly Holliday, the heart for service and the subtle humor of Mike Hall, the lighthearted feistiness and personal growth of Gary Hubbell, the loving warmth and powerful faith of Beverly Litterell, and the soft heart and sarcastic humor of Michael Jackson.  I am thankful for each of my classmates, and I believe the timing of my decision to return to school was orchestrated by God so that I would be with this specific group of students.

Truth be told, I don't really have a clue what all the future will hold, but I'm not stressing about it at this point!  For now, I'm excited about going for the Doctorate (a recent decision that I haven't announced on the blog yet, so there it is)!  And I'm celebrating that I have my Bachelor's Degree!!  

Goodbye, TF-34.  It went by faster than I ever expected!