By: Sarah Boutin
Seniors entered the California Baptist University’s Event Center ready to attend Grad Finale but were suddenly filled with emotions as they took one step closer to graduation.
Grad Finale was a two-day event, March 28 and 29, where seniors finalized some last-minute things one month before graduating. Students could attend either day. As a graduating senior I also participated in this event.
I attended the first day to see what the event had to offer. CBU faculty greeted me upon arrival then directed me upstairs. I was nervous to be there because it began to hit me that my four years were almost up.
A long line of students snaked along the second floor. A man in front of me came to my rescue as he told me the line was for seniors taking graduation photos.
Naveh Riles, a sociology major, said as she was waited in line she was able to reflect on how she felt about graduating.
“While I am excited about graduation, I am very nervous because I still need to find a job and prepare for grad school. I do not like things feeling out of control or not in order, so it’s a very scary thing to think about. But I am ready to finish strong and start the real world,” Riles said.
As I made my way around the upper deck of the Event Center, I noticed there were only five booths. It was hard to hide my disappointment because the school made it sound like this event would be huge. The first booth I went to was for class rings where I was able to buy a ring I liked.
Two other booths which belonged to Spiritual Life and the Alumni Office. Even though I had no interest in those booths they reeled me in by giving out free CBU Alumni license plate frames and keychains. I am a magnet for free things. I collected as much free stuff as I can from the two booths. After I ran into another long line, but this is what I have been waiting for: the distribution of the caps and gowns.
When it was my turn to get my gown, I looked down in disbelief and I could not think about what was happening. I touched the silky blue gown and was just filled with so many emotions. After four hard years of homework, projects and working it was all starting to pay off. I looked around the room and I saw other students admiring their gowns too. It was like a dream come true.
I went down the escalator and got in line for the student store. That is where the Grad Finale ended and we were waiting in line to buy our last item, graduation bundles. Grad Finale was shorter than I expected, and I decided to ask a girl in line what she thought about it.
Elizabeth Ajtun, an international studies major, said she wished it was a bigger spectacle.
“I attended Grad Finale to pick up my cap and gown, buy a class ring and get free stuff. I had a good time with my friends talking about graduating together, but I was a little disappointed because I expected Grad Finale to be much bigger and on the actual basketball courts like with the career fair,” Ajtun said.
Eventually we got to the front of the line and I was able to buy everything I needed for our graduation day. As I left the Events Center, I looked back and took in everything that just happened. I noticed some students were taking photographs of their gown and free goodies. Others were with their friends jumping in excitement about the weeks to come.
I looked back and thought about all the stressful times, the late nights studying, and balancing work. It was a difficult four years. Although as I looked down at my graduation gown, I knew it was all worth it.
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