15 May, 2012

DONE DONE DONE


I’m probably done with college. I say probably because there’s a bit of a bureaucratic process that needs to be gone though before it’s official, and I’m just trying to cover my ass in the event that something goes wrong down the line. But I don’t want to talk about why things are complicated. I want to talk about how happy and proud of myself I am right now. 

I (probably) finished my Bachelors of Arts degree in International Politics-US Foreign Policy and a minor in French in four years flat. I finished 95% of the credit requirements in three years at UW-Milwaukee, leaving myself an entire year at a political science university in France to come up with six, relatively flexible credits to take back to finish out everything for good. I gave up having a social life, sanity, and free time for most of the past four years working by two jobs every summer and winter break in order to be able to fill in financial gaps left by the government not caring about a middle class white female like myself. I worked 4am-12:30pm at Target full time and then (most days) would go home to take a nap, and then work as a hostess at a local restaurant at night. And then repeat. For the past two years at UWM, I worked in the dorms as an RA as the most effective means of covering my living expenses in order to preserve my credit and save taking out private loans for my ultimate goal of studying abroad for a year. Though I have positive memories and relationships as a result of it, this also ate up a tremendous amount of time and sanity and I’m happy it’s over. I’m so happy all of that is over.

Though I will never be done learning, I’m so happy that I’m not going to be living semester to semester trying to cover the next tuition bill. I worked hard, got myself an internship on Capitol Hill in Washington (to which I will forever be grateful for my sister for letting me live on her couch and to Congresswoman Gwen Moore+staff for taking me under their wing) and started myself on a proper track professionally. And now I’m leaving France (ps I just lived in France for nine months—that’s insane to think about) and I have stuff lined up for when I get home. I’m going to be working my ass off for one, probably two, underdog campaigns because I believe in what they’re fighting for. I’m going to network the shit out of the Wisconsin political scene, and if for some reason that doesn’t get me anywhere…I’ve already got a backup plan (but I won’t talk about that just yet).

So I guess this is just a huge pat on the back. I did it. I worked hard, and I did it. And I’m super excited to see where I end up because of it. We’ve already uncorked a bit of champagne, and it’s going to continue until the early hours of the morning. Some people have asked if I get to walk at some sort of graduation ceremony, and the answer is no. But I don’t really care, that’s not what’s important to me. I’m going to be borrowing a friend’s graduation get-up when I get back, take a bunch of pictures around UWM’s campus just to pretend it happened like normal, and then I had this moment at the Eiffel Tower a few weeks ago…

 

A huge congratulations goes out to all other friends graduating this weekend, we’ll celebrate when I get back. Also, a huge thank you to everyone who’s been such an important part of my life the past four years and kept me sane during the tough times—you know who you are.

Hugs, kisses, and see you all in 16 days <3

1 comment:

  1. So proud of you! And so happy I got to be a small part of the picture along the way :) See you this summer!!

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