Chapter 1: Graduation This Way Comes
Remember when you were younger and grown-ups always said “Common Sense isn’t that common”? Well this is the story all about how a girl forgot common sense, fell in love, broke her herself, broke her heart, and left to put her back together again. Sure this could be some cushy romance novel, where the princess meets her prince or maybe an autobiography, but neither of those would suffice in the telling of this story.
Let’s bring it back to October of 2011, because that is when all of this trauma starts.
It was the first semester of Senior Year of high school, everything was perfect, I was in the state champion Marching Band, I had stellar grades, and the most amazing group of friends. It was college application season and everyone was excited, applying to schools all over the country, to all different kinds of school. We had this teacher, who would print out a little pennant and hang them on their classroom walls each time a student was accepted to a college, everything from the Ivy Leagues to community colleges were posted up last year, so this year we expected the same thing. Everyone was talking about where they were going to apply, what they wanted to major in. We had some apply to Yale, Brown, and Duke, others choose to stay local and apply to University of Florida, Florida State, and University of Central Florida. Then there was me… I applied to seven different schools: University of South Florida, Florida Southern College, Saint Leo University, Alleghany College, Florida Hospital College, University of West Florida, and Florida International University.
Fast forward to January 2012, okay maybe it was more like March, it is really all just a giant blur… it’s the last semester of High School and everyone is anxiously awaiting to hear back decisions from colleges all over the nation. Most of them got into their dream schools, and the room became cluttered with all the pennants on the wall, in the upper right hand corner of the portable classroom were my flags, all 7 of them. I did not think I would get into any of the schools, simply because I had only good grades, I felt that I wasn’t a competitive applicant, I guess I was wrong.
Now it’s May 2012
and decisions are due on the 1st of the month, because deposits need to be made for tuition and housing, I decided, Saint Leo University. This is where it all began, my parents paid the deposit, and I was like any other high school senior, ready to graduate and move into my dorm.
Graduation Day comes in early June.
I wake up early that morning, and do my hair, that took me about two hours, then I start my make up, I was going for intelligent Latina. With my Hair straighten and my makeup natural, I go on to put on the champagne colored knee length dress, that I found an hour before the mall closed last night. My parents left me at the drop off location for graduates, so with my maroon cap and gown in hand, I walk to go check in. As I waited in line for what seemed to be an hour I started putting on the layers for graduation, the maroon gown was first, layered with the silver hood, then came the black medical academy stole, finally topped off with the cords I received from Marching Band, HOSA, and National Honor Society. I reached the table and they took my name, and told me where to sit until it was time to begin the processional. I took my seat, placed the cap on my head, and proceeded to sit between two strangers I had never seen in my entire life. How could I have gone through high school without actually talking to people that were in my classes? Why didn’t I go to homecoming or to prom? Suddenly there was a tap on my shoulder and there was this kid behind me and all he wanted to say was “ I just wanted to say congratulations to you, you seem to have accomplished a lot and good luck with your future”… Thanks random kid. It ended with a handshake and then the processional began. It was a long three and half hour ceremony, but it was over, so I went home to have some cake and meet with family.
