The Graduate

Mary & Nicholas

One of the great milestones is the graduation of your child. Fortunately, society provides today's child with numerous graduation opportunities. There are pre-school, grade school, middle school, and high school ceremonies to mark educational passages. By the time one completes college, the rituals, speeches, and accolades are well known. Yet, there is something significant to a parent about college graduation. It marks your child's nervous entry into adulthood and your exit from their educational scene.

This past weekend our son, Nicholas, graduated from the University of Iowa with a double major in Accounting and Management Information Systems. His path started a little later than most, but once on it, he never wavered. His mother is beaming; his father thankful that a job in Minneapolis awaits him at the accounting firm of KPMG.

Thus, Mary and I have attended the last of our childrens' graduation exercises. We are proud of their achievements and know they are ready to stand on their own. Now they can watch as we go to Samoa to begin as Peace Corps Trainees and hopefully graduate as full-fledged Peace Corps Volunteers.