I just got back from my first graduation ceremony. This one was the first ever Alumni Scholar Association Convocation Ceremony, for all us over-achieving campus leaders.

No family was there. No friends, except acquaintances I know who happen to also be Alumni Leadership Scholars.

This one was just for me....well for me to get my framed lithograph of the campanile from the 1920s with my name engraved on a small plaque underneath it (sweet!). Initially I went to just get that goody...but I got a lot more out of it.

The ceremony really touched me. A great series of speakers who made me feel really good about what I have done and accomplished, and made me look forward to being an alumni. Even if I were leaving Cal after this year for good, they made me realize that you can't really leave this place, its a part of who you are and its a community that exists throughout the world. It feels really nice, to feel like I belong (fully and without any reservations) to such a community. I've never really truly had that before coming here.

Ceremony closed with a singing of Cal's Alma Mater, Hail to California. I've never sung it before, don't know the tune except the final "Hail! Hail! Hail!" part, even though I've heard it plenty of times at the end of football games. But I tried my best to follow along.

And it was really nice to be in the shadow of the Campanile singing that bittersweet song, celebrating my past four years here, doing it only for myself (even though it was kind of strange to not have to take a million pictures after). It made me feel..well really good, and maybe even excited, about graduation.

Learn these words fellow future Cal alums, it really is a beautiful bittersweet song when you put these words to the music:

Hail to California

Hail to California,
Alma Mater dear;
Sing the joyful chorus,
Sound it far and near.
Rallying round her banner,
We will never fail;
California, Alma Mater
Hail! Hail! Hail!

Hail to California,
Queen in whom we're blest;
Spreading light and goodness
Over all the West.
Fighting 'nearth her standard,
We shall sure prevail;
California, Alma Mater,
Hail! Hail! Hail!