From start to finish, the day of Commencement was one of the greatest days of my life. It all began when I had the honor of meeting Tom Brokaw. I really didn't expect more than a handshake and possibly a picture, but he was kind enough to share with me a few stories and some encouraging words to help me prepare for my speech. Then, I picked up my seating card and met up with the greatest guys I know to take the traditional Beta senior picture in front of the Ignatius statue. It was a bittersweet moment because, although it was awesome to have all of the seniors together, there is no telling when that will happen again.
Sitting through the practice ceremony was nothing special, but processing out of the gym to the quad was. At that moment, everything became real. With the sun shining and the quad swarmed with people, I was hit with a rush of excitement. While sitting in my seat during the opening of the ceremony, I was anticipating that my excitement would turn into nervous energy as my time to speak drew near. Much to my surprise, my excitement became complete confidence. As I was introduced and walked to the podium, I was quite relieved that the big moment had finally come. It had been months in the making! Looking out at the never-ending crowd, I couldn't help but smile. It was the single proudest moment of my life. Not only was I representing my school and graduating class, but I was also representing my family, friends, and fraternity.
After nailing my speech and receiving my degree, I realized that, for the first time, the most important people in my life were all in the same place together. This included my entire family, my incredible girlfriend, and my friends for life. I really lived that day on top of the world and I am determined to feel that way again in the future.
Reflection by John J. Kuczynski '10
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