A Great Gatsby Graduation

Graduation is a day that everyone looks forward too. It’s a day where friends and family come together to celebrate your accomplishments. You get to hear your family scream at the top of their lungs when your name is announced. Let’s not forget the graduation parties. Food, fun, and festivities are all anyone can think of, especially me. Sadly, I did not have the normal college graduation whatsoever. In fact, it was completely different due to Covid-19, and something I will never forget.

I was due to graduate Kennesaw State University on July 22, 2020. Originally, it was weird graduating in the summer because I felt behind. A lot of recruiters were assuming I graduated in the springtime and seemed confused when I told them July. When the pandemic occurred, unfortunately, the job market completely changed, so it really did not matter if I was graduating in spring or summer. I kept feeling optimistic that I would still have somewhat normal graduation with everyone walking the stage. Since my graduation was in July, I just figured the pandemic would be somewhat clear by that time. I was wrong.

After I saw on our school’s website that graduation would be postponed, I had a mix of emotions. It did not feel fair that my graduating class had to deal with this. I also did not know what this meant in terms of a graduation party. I was dreaming of having a Great Gatsby Graduation dinner party because it’s one of my favorite movies. Since we were in the “20s” I figured it is the perfect theme. I had been planning this party since September. Of course, due to the pandemic things changed. My guest list decreased rapidly. I was still excited because my cousins and aunt were planning to travel. All of my family lives out of town so graduation means a lot to me because I do not get to see everyone on a daily. Sadly, as the COVID-19 numbers increased daily, I had to make a tough decision to cancel my dinner. I was completely devastated because this was an event I really looked forward to. However, I had to think about others and their safety. I did not want to put anyone at risk, so I felt it was the right decision.

Although my dinner was canceled, I had a drive-by plan where people could honk and cheer me on from the street. Little to my surprise I was completely unaware that I was going to be surprised by my entire cold de sac and other neighbors. I walked outside to see a lot of people cheering and clapping for me. Honestly, I am not a fan of surprises but I was very grateful for everyone that attended and showed their support. It was a complete success and my family watched via Zoom. I never would have imagined graduation like this, but sometimes things don’t always go your way. Likewise, I still had my Gatsby dinner with just my immediate family and one of my close friends. We all dressed up in our “20s” attire which was extremely fun and I had a great time.

Although graduating though a pandemic was not ideal, it gave me a different lens on life. Sometimes we always think things will go to plan, but that’s not necessarily the case. Sometimes we have to be creative and adapt to things even though it’s not what we want. At the end of the day, on July 22, 2020, I still graduated from Kennesaw State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing. I graduated Magna Cum Laude and I was glad I had the opportunity to still share this moment with friends and family amidst an entire pandemic. I chose to think about others because that’s the type of person I am. The next time things do not go as planned, perhaps think of creative alternatives. You never know how you can turn a difficult situation into something beautiful and memorable.