Graduation is upon us. I might actually be done with college. I say might because there is one class I am having trouble passing, however, provided I pass the class I will graduate from college. When school is an important part of your life, then college graduation is a moment in time you are excited for but terrified by at the same time. 

I was very lucky, I had college graduation already, though I didn’t *fully* participate in it. Still very lucky to have, and especially now in the age of COVID-19. I went to a two-year school where I received my associate’s in Liberal Arts with a concentration in music. At that point in time, I knew I loved music and that was it, so I went to school for it. I love my experience there. Our graduation was at the Barclays Center, and because I was performing the National Anthem in our chorus I was going to be there anyway. So it may not make sense why I did not go through with the pomp and circumstance. But, the last thing I wanted was to be stuck for hours in a hot gown, not getting to walk across a stage because there were too many people, and in Brooklyn.

So, I showed up as the ass crack of dawn, performed at The Barclay Center where many of my idols had done so before and I said my goodbyes as I was now graduated. Let me just say how powerful it was to be at that arena on a very special day doing what I love to do. But then, off to Mercy, I went. My mother told me I must participate in my Mercy graduation. Well, yeah, things didn’t quite go to plan.

I am relieved I don’t have to spend all day in a gown during a long ceremony, but I do realize I am missing something. Nonetheless, I will still be a graduated individual with a BAchelors degree. That is so incredibly wild to fathom. I am no longer a child, but an adult with an incredible amount of responsibility for me.

I vaguely remember my Pre-K graduation, I do remember parts of my elementary graduation. Middle school was the first time such an event impacted me because I loved my school and my friends. High school was wild. That was my first transition into adulthood. That graduated was the day I said goodbye to the old me, and the day I started on the journey to find adult Jadeen.

I have not found her yet, but I am trying to enjoy the search. I want to thank the people at Mercy College that has helped me get here. I made it my business to not get to know most of you well because I hate falling in love with a place only to leave it so soon. Though my stay here was short, it was impactful. I am fully confident that the work I have done for The Impact will actually help me get a job, ha!

So many people helped me to graduate on time, and got to know me on this short journey, and was able to see who I really was. I recently made a new friend who I believe will be a lifelong one at that, so I will forever be grateful. 

I am looking forward to being fully graduated, and I will try not to be completely terrified while experiencing my quarter-life crisis of no longer being a student. Guys, I’ve been a student since I was 4 years old. Talk about a transition. But I digress, to anyone I know that has read this, thank you.

Graduation song I wrote as a child… “Today’s my graduation, yeah. I’m so sad that I could cry. But there’s one last thing to say, and it’s goodbye”