Graduation is the closing of one chapter and the opening of new ones for the 779 new Spring 2024 graduates of Northwestern State University. The ceremony took place May 8 and 9. Graduation concludes the long nights of studying, hard work and perseverance for graduates with the end goal of walking across the stage, diploma in hand.
Francene Lemoine, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, revisited the excitement that graduation brings to the faculty of NSU. “We are so excited to be a part of that final event. It’s sort of like when you are a parent and recognize that your children’s birthdays mean more to you than it means to them,” Lemoine said. “I think that we invest so much of our time, effort and energy in seeing our students succeed. To see them graduate and be excited about whatever is next, whether that’s getting a job, going on to graduate school or professional school, is like seeing all those efforts come to fruition.”
Victoria Brown is an English alumna who shared some of what graduates remember about the ceremony. “Maybe it sounds cliché, but the most memorable part of graduation was walking across the stage. I’ll never forget the rush of emotions as I passed by the rows of professors waving and smiling or the feeling of stopping on the stage to shake hands with Dr. Jones,” Brown said. “I was proud of myself for having the determination to push through and get my degree. When I sat back down with my degree cover, I kept running my hands over it, trying to remind myself that it wasn’t a dream. At the end of the ceremony, when the caps went flying and confetti rained down on us, I started to feel a little sad. My college journey was finally over.”
The feelings and memories are unique to each graduate, but come from the same place of knowing they have completed a huge milestone in life. For some graduates, this is not the end of their educational journeys. They will go on to pursue diverse job opportunities, internships, graduate schools and many other paths which are supported by their newly earned degrees.
Colby Grayson is a Liberal Arts Scholars’ College alumnus who will go on to pursue law school. He shared an important message of what college undergraduates need to remember about their time in school.“Enjoy every moment before you get there. You’ll never understand how valuable that time is until it’s gone,” Grayson said.
The time students spend in college flies by quickly and before they know it, the time of learning and being surrounded by close friends is over. “Stop and smell the roses. You’ll have ups and downs, but the overall takeaway will be immensely positive,” Grayson said.
The graduating demons of 2024 may be moving on to bigger and better things, but will always have the memories of their college experience to fall back on and help them remember the path that led them to where they stand today.
