Melissa's Graduation

I graduated May 17th, which was several months ago, but I have had so many people ask me lately about it that I thought it would be easiest to post about it.

I started my long journey four years ago. My sister and I decided to both go back to school together. We have this great picture of the two of us on the first day of school with our backpacks on ~ nice and nostalgic! Two years at the community college prepared me to move on to Pacific University to get my degree in elementary education. My time at Pacific was an amazing experience. I gained some wonderful friends and the program really helped me look inside myself and to become the type of teacher that I wanted to be.

Student teaching was increadible! And before I knew it graduation was here. The ceremony was held in Forest Grove (about two hours north of Springfield) where Pacific's main campus is. It was a great weekend! All of my family was together and there to support me. And we spent the entire weekend together, which is always a blast!

I graduated with honors ~ summa cum laude ~ which means that my grade point average was over a 3.91 (mine was 3.96 ~ so close to a 4.0!). The ceremony was short and sweet and after that we headed off to an amazing lunch. My brother and his girlfriend Erin live in Portland and Erin planned this great party for after my graduation. We went the the Hall St. Grill which served amazing food, she had bought a cake from the Beaverton Bakery ( I don't think I had ever tasted anything so delicious!) and then decorated with gorgeous flowers. They went all out!

So here we are, almost at the start of the new school year. Do I have a job?? Sadly the answer is no, but I am fine with that. The Eugene/Springfield area is a really hard area to get a job. Schools can get up to 200 applicants per open position. I am actually excited to be subbing. I can work when I want to, the day is already planned out for me, and at four o'clock I leave for home to enjoy my family. Don't get me wrong...I will be great when I have my own classroom, but subbing will allow me to see so many different environments and work with different teaching strategies. It will also give me a year of experience under my belt ~

Here are a few pictures from my graduation weekend. *Disclaimer* There were tons of people taking pictures so often times we are looking at different places ~ sorry!

My parents Roger & Lynn ~ a huge thanks to them!! They were the ones that watched my kids a couple nights each week and every other Saturday for almost two years. And not just that, but all of the times when I thought I would pull my hair out ~ they took the kids so I could study.

Jason & Erin ~ Thanks for the great graduation party!

My sister Amy, my B-I-L Robert & my nephew Brody. A big thanks to their family who also helped me out with the kids during my crazy four years!
My dad Rick and his girlfriend Kelly

All of my mom's kids minus Ashley who was hanging out at my brother's place with our babysitter Tess. Tess (Ashley's friend) and Ash kept Hunter, Morgan and Trin for us. Thanks guys!

The Gang ~ Back Row: Pa, Robert, Brody, Amy Jason, Zack, Me, Mom, Roger, John.

Front Row: Grams, Erin, Kelly, Dad, Jazzy

The only time we may see Zack with honor cords :)

Flowers and Cake at the Hall St. Grill