I was going to wait until graduation day to start a thread for those of us who are graduating, but I’m having a weird day and it seemed like as good a time as any.
I’m completely done with graduate school as of yesterday - just passing the time until Graduation Day. This means I have finished my Master’s degree in Social Work. I am a macro concentrator, which means I’m working for social change at the systems level. I’m no ninny, but let me tell you my program was really quite brutal. At times it was just nonstop work, and not just cognitively but emotionally grueling. You can’t go through something that challenging and not come out of it a better person.
The brag: I’m pretty sure I succeeded in pulling off a 4.0 cumulative GPA (final grades pending). And today I was informed that I am a recipient of the John Hope Franklin Combating American Racism Award at the University of Pennsylvania. I was selected by the Black Men at Penn School of Social Work, an organization to which my most beloved professor of all time belongs.
Says the letter:
There are a handful of my colleagues also receiving the award, and they are all amazing. It’s cool to think that someone out there apparently thinks I’m worthy of being counted among these awesome people.
I’m deeply honored, as this is an issue very close to my heart. Racism and fighting racism is something I may never fully understand, but I feel like I’m constantly struggling with those issues and I don’t intend to ever give up struggling. So when I found out about this I was basically on Cloud 9. Out of all the awards I could get, this is the best one.
Immediately after being informed of the award, I had a job interview - made it to the second round, the phone interview stage - for the job of my dreams. However, the interview sort of made me re-think the notion that this was in fact the job of my dreams. I’ll find out next week if I made it to the next round. I don’t know what’s going to happen and I’m disappointed. I was so sure I had this and now I’m not only unsure, I don’t even know if I want it. It’s kind of a frightening time to be looking for work.
So I guess you could say I’m in kind of a strange mood. I’m delighted with how I’m finishing out this phase of life, but the future is a big blank right now. It’s kind of an ominous feeling.
Anyone else out there? Share your celebrations and your hesitations. I think they go hand in hand with something like this.
That is ridiculously awesome. I’ve followed your entire journey and this is a perfect and fitting end to it. So strange to be so proud of someone I’ve never met.
Well, it’s not a Pulitzer if that’s what you mean. It’s awarded to about seven graduating students from my program every year… I believe our class size is about 150 people. It’s a luncheon in my honor and a shiny plaque for me to hang on my wall and remember everything I learned here and all I have fought for. To me it is a major award. Especially because I have so much respect and admiration for those who selected me.
Congratulations! I’m graduating in a week and I am so happy I am on air! And also terrified at the thought that I have to get a job now!
I don’t have a major award. The best I’ve got is that I was in Mortar Board, but was never invited back to a meeting after I told the president she could kiss my ass. Hmmm, I did get a couple nursing scholarships, and some recommendations that mean a lot to me. Nothing engraved on a plaque though. Perhaps I should insist on it! Eh, don’t care - I just love ER. If you’ve got something poking into or out of you, I’m your girl and I couldn’t be happier.
You’re a braver person than I. I have some social work colleagues who have worked in the trauma unit at major hospitals and it is hella stressful from what I hear. Hat’s off! (and up in the air!)
Olives it sounds like you have had an incredible time. I remember when you were trying to decide about going to Penn or the other (was it Columbia? I recall it was another super-prestigious school). Now that journey which started with so much uncertainty, has come to a triumphant end! The passage of time is a strange thing, is it not?
I just want to wish you the best of luck in everything.
