My big girl Chelle graduated from college on April 27, 2012.
She's beautiful!!!
I like what Jas said. "Wow! You've graduated twice before I've even graduated once!"
Chelle completed the two year Diploma in Office Administration. Her instructors told them that this program was the most labour intensive of all the courses in the college. I guess that's part of the training - being really busy and being able to prioritize and cope with it all. She did spend lots of late nights and Saturdays in working at the college, and some of the computer stuff she did was pretty amazing. She didn't prefer the legal courses and didn't mind the medical ones. Accounting had it's good and bad moments.
So this is how her graduation day went . . .
Grandma and Grandpa were the first to arrive and save seats for us all. (That's a scary face, mom!)
Chelle was lucky to have both sets of grandparents there.
In comes the Processional, led by a bagpiper and two mounties. This was the second graduation ceremony that day - there are too many graduates for one session!
Okay, I've learned some photo editing skills! The green arrow is pointing to Chelle's eyes.
There she is in the very center.
And there are all the graduates for this session. The ceremony is optional - hundreds more graduated who chose not to attend this formal ceremony.
There's my girl crossing the stage and receiving something in a folder. It's actually a picture of the college on one side, with a space on the other side for the Diploma when it arrives in the mail.
(They stop and pose for the official photographer there, which makes it handy for zooming in from way in the back to take a picture!)
Now for the recessional and then literally out into the world.
College Graduate #1
With some of her Office Administration buddies.
And with the parents . . .
. . . and Gramma and Grampa.
The Culinary Department kindly provided refreshments so we hung out there for awhile. Then we went out to dinner - she chose Moxies and it was really nice to visit and eat.
Now comes the courage of really heading out into the world, being officially finished with school. Chelle was fortunate to get a temporary bookkeeping job before she even finished school. That was a crazy month for her doing job training, then starting the job while still going to class and finishing up school projects. Luckily some of her classes had ended already so she managed it okay. Now she's enjoying coming home from work and not having other projects and assignments to work on. Such freedom!!!
While going to school for the past two years, she also attended Institute classes and the Institute Choir. Their concerts are phenomenal! And she would say that the highlight of her week was dance class. She's been learning waltz, jive and swing for the past two years and is apparently pretty good now, even helping instruct others. Those boys throw her all around and she likes it!!! Someday, somehow, we've got to see her dance. She's been learning all sorts of things!
That's my girl!
Sure do love ya Chelle!
