Looking back...

Last night as I attended my graduation from the University of Ottawa, I was afforded the opportunity to look back and think about my time there and what it has meant to me. With several friends still attending the school, my connection to it is far from done with, by my own personal chapter is. Having been in History and English there were many faces I recognized in the crowd, but not as many that I knew all that well. That is the one thing about attending such a large school. But there were the friendly faces of those you have come to know over the past four years, and it makes you wonder what lies ahead for each of us. In this sense it isn't much different than high school in that there is the unexpected ahead of you, only by now you should either have a better sense of direction or more knowledge behind you to face it. We are older and hopefully wiser, but that doesn't mean anything if you don't apply yourself. This is the message received from countless friends and family members as you start out on our new lives. The world doesn't really care about you unless it show it why it should and hopefully we've learned enough to prove this to them and to ourselves. The kind thoughts of friends and family members are always appreciated at this time, and hopefully we can all prove that it was worth the investment, and make our way through this world using the skills we have acquired here. It's not just what you learn in the classroom that's important I have found, but the skills you learn being on your own, and what you learn about yourself as you grow up. These are what really matter, and is a part of a truly valuable education. And as my dad always told me, education is never wasted. Here's hoping he's right.