Miss NB graduated from Colby College this past weekend. We are all so proud of her because we know that she worked her hardest to do well in her classes, to be nice to all her friends, and to embark upon many interesting projects. She is, by nature, a very diligent worker.
NB's brother and sister and their fiancee and spouse made the time and effort to share the weekend with her. We all had a terrific weekend
together. As luck would have it, the weather was not ideal during graduation as everyone huddled together with umbrellas. The day before, at baccalaureate, the weather was much better so this is when these photos are from. Everyone brought their cameras so there will be a whole assortment of perspectives soon. The campus in Waterville is lovely, albeit set in a town where people are economically struggling. We managed to include some in-town activities during our time there.
NB graduated Summa Cum Laude and we are so impressed with that. She is pre-med and the coursework is challenging. She is also a psych major who completed her studies by writing a therapeutic children's book, as well as submitting research to a national competition. Because of her many interests and of being pre-med, NB never became a psych department groupie. She accepted a modicum of disrespect from the head of the psych department but in turn, got to show him what she was really about. It was wonderful to meet a few professors who intimately knew her strengths.
Everyone in the family is busy. The medical people are facing the challenges of difficult exams and new clinical rotations. The business people are keeping themselves afloat by being creative in less than opportune times. The parents are all busy too.
The speaker at Colby's graduation was Greg Mortenson who wrote, "Three Cups of Tea". I had the book on my shelf for quite a while, imagining that it was one of those new cryptic, fictional bestsellers about another culture. I decided to start reading it last week, so I would better understand the speech that was given. I have mostly read the book and am now a devoted fan of a humble man who built many schools for children in Afghanistan.
Preceding Greg Mortenson's speech, was the Senior Class Speaker's one. Quiamuddin Amiry http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104517038 was that speaker and he is a young student from Afghanistan. His speech was charming and funny, and reflected both the youthful and mature nuances of his experiences. Despite the downpour, listening to these speakers was exciting. Greg Mortenson gave a much abbreviated version because, as a humanitarian, and also a nurse (!) he felt badly about all the people seated in the rain while he was under an awning.
All of us converged on the house after packing up the rest of Miss NB's belongings for her final trip home from college. It turned out that the NY people had their flight cancelled at the Portland airport and came home with us as well. Strangely, even though we started out in three separate cars, and combined to make two, and left Colby at different times, we all ended up driving on the highway together in our own little cavalcade.
Leave a comment