Graduation Festivities Begin!

I can't believe how fast the last three years flew by. It seems like just yesterday I was applying to graduate school and touring campuses to see which one would be the best fit for me. Now, it is all over...tomorrow morning I'll walk across that stage and get my diploma. Holy cow! I will have a Master's degree. Little. Old. Me. I have to admit that getting my MBA was a lot harder for me then studying for my Bachelor's in Accounting. The classes were MUCH more intense and took a lot more of my time outside of the already full-time work schedule I have. Of course it probably didn't help that while I was enrolled in grad school last year I also planned a wedding (my own) and built a house along with my full-time job as an accountant in Reinsurance. Yup, it was enough to drive me just a teensy bit insane. Luckily, my groom still married me! :)

I'm proud to graduate as a member of Sigma Alpha Pi the National Honor Society of Leadership and Success and with a GPA of 3.83 (darned "B" in Economics = killing me!). Yes, I am a geek. A number crunching, reconciliation loving, checkbook balancing geek. My favorite class as a Master's Student was the International Marketing course I took to Bangkok, Thailand and Singapore for 12 days in the summer of 2007. I will never forget that experience and can't wait for the class reunion we organized for the end of May. My least favorite class was probably the Macro Economics course I took on Saturday mornings for 7 weeks. What was I thinking subjecting myself to such torture on a Saturday?! Economics + Heather = NOT fun. I have to admit I'll miss the excited butterfly like feeling in the pit of my stomach I get at the start of every semester, the intensity of trying to finish up that term paper and give the class presentation on time, and the sense of extreme accomplishment that follows the end of every semester. I won't miss having to spend my evenings studying or doing homework or having to pass on a Happy Hour, movie, or family gathering because I have to study.

On Thursday I attended a Graduation Reception for Graduate students at school. Here is a picture of my friend Jani and I there:

I also picked up my cap, gown, and hood as well. I have to say that the hood is pretty freakin' ugly. It's brown (they even call the color "drab"!!) for the school of business and the red and white on the inside are our school colors. Even though it's ugly, I might still keep it. I'll have to pay for it if I do, but it is kind of cool I get to be the one wearing a hood at graduation now and I can see myself trying it on for size at home and being all nostalgic. LOL, yes I'm lame. Here she is in all her glory waiting for some ironing:

Ok, I have to close for now but I'll post some pictures of the party and ceremony next week. Yesterday, we (Alexi, my brother Pete, and I) went to NYC to tour the Natural History Museum so I'll post some pictures from our adventures there as well.

H