Degrees of Graduation

All in the family

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Our family has a strong connection to the University of British Columbia. It goes back generations. My daughter Zoë graduated from UBC in 2004 as a mechanical engineer, her mother some years earlier as an educational counselor, and decades earlier her grandpa also as a mechanical engineer.

I attended UBC, and my psychology degree is still waiting for me. I’m a couple of courses short of graduating (life got in the way), but I should consider returning to finish that task.

I tend to use my advanced age as an excuse, but then I remember my sister enrolling in night school in her late sixties to pursue a “Canadian” high school diploma. The one she had was not good enough, I guess. Somehow, that was important to her, even though it served no practical purpose.

So, when asked: What is your most memorable graduation and why? I had plenty of experiences to choose from. I could say that graduating from high school as a new immigrant, fresh off the boat, was memorable and significant for me, but I won’t.

I already mentioned my sister’s graduation. Zoë’s mom returning to campus to pursue her Master’s degree as a young mom is worth noting.

So, what tops the list?