Farewell, Aggieland!

On Thursday, May 10^th, I graduated from Texas A&M University. I’m a former student, now.

It’s a bittersweet moment, really.

I really don’t want to leave this magical place. I’ve grown so much here.

Two days before I graduated, I saw the sun set on Aggieland while taking my final steps as a student across campus. I didn’t want to leave in hurry, so I took my time and I stayed until the evening. Finally, I made one last trip from the MSC all the way back to parking lot 55.

The place was practically a ghost town.

I took a good look at Evans Library one last time. I wrote some of my best stories in that place.

And right before I got to the parking lot, I took a glimpse at the Liberal Arts, Arts & Humanities building. It’s a great big beautiful building and most of my classes where held there. It was humid on hot days ’cause of all the windows and the WiFi was horrible. But–I’m gonna miss it.

I felt like crying, but I was more shocked, really. Then, two days later, I walked across the stage. Well, what I really did was “kick in the door” like Vinny from Jersey Shore: Family Vacation. My friends caught it on their cellphones:

I went to six graduations in total. We kicked off grad season with a campfire in the backyard.

And I went to Northgate every night from Tuesday ’til Saturday. It was a crazy week (I’ve got this awesome denim jacket now and I wore it about three nights in a row ’cause I like it so much; I also wore my overalls on Saturday, too). A crazy few days filled with celebratin’, singin’, hollerin’, shoutin’, sweatin’, drinkin’, swearin’, whoopin,’ eatin’, cheerin’ and laughin’. My Aggie family is a never-ending party.

We’ve had this old beer pong table for a few years. It was white at first, but then we tried to spray paint it maroon. The paint cans actually turned out to be red, unfortunately. Over the years, the paint slowly chipped off. Since we’re all graduated now, there won’t be any more parties at 306 Fairway, so Jose jumped off of Marco’s truck and slammed into the table to destroy it. It’s finally been decommissioned.

We took one last photo in front of the 306 house.

It’s only been two years since I took my first ever class at A&M (American Literature with Dr. Alonzo), but it’s been quite a wild ride. I owe it all to Marco; he was the one who invited me to a Midnight Yell back in 2014 or so. I fell in love with A&M that night. I’ve got that spirit, now. I’m never gonna take my ring off.

You know, it still hasn’t all hit me yet. Like I said earlier, I felt like crying and I still do, but I haven’t yet. The first half of my time at A&M had a lot of tears and a lot of lows. But the second half had a lot of laughs. Lots of highlights, especially my Aggie ring and that Gordone Award in undergraduate fiction. Almost dying in CHI St. Joseph’s really did turn my outlook on life around.

Lately, when I ever get hesitant on doin’ something, I ask myself this question:

Ten years from now, what will I regret more: doing this, or not doing this?

I was always shy and reserved before, but lately I’ve been pushing myself to get more out of life. I wrote in my first post that I want to live a life that exemplifies the motto, “who dares, wins.” I want to dare, to take chances and to chase success. I’ve got to do more.

So I’ve got a bachelor’s degree in English–I graduated cum laude. I’ve made it. I don’t think my education is over yet, though. And I’m not done writing, either. I’ve got another story in the works: “Bad Juju.”

Stay tuned. . .