Six years ago, Diane Ladd starred as Penny Chenery in a movie about Secretariat. On this Kentucky Derby weekend, as I reflect on one of the most important days of my life, I could not help but think of a line from this movie. Secretariat is a biography about the 1973 triple crown winner and one of the greatest race horses to ever compete. In this amazing movie, there is a scene where Penny's dad is giving her advice about life and he tells her that she must "let him [Secretariat] run his race." This quote is all about striking out on your own path in life and getting to your finish line to win your own personal race, to not worry about the other competitors that are on the track and to achieve your own personal victory no matter how the others are doing.

During ETSU's commencement ceremony, Professor Chris Dula spoke and asked all of the graduates that were the first members of their families to go to college to stand up and be recognized. My heart beamed with pride as I stood and thought of my parents. This degree represents so much more than a piece of paper and the chance to change my future. This degree represents so much more than a bunch of memories and so many lost hours of sleep working on another assignment. Before graduation, there is a time for reflection of all of the effort and work that has been put into achieving that amazing goal. After graduation, there is a tendency to look toward to the future and making your plans to seize that future. But there is a moment, during the ceremony, where a graduate is able to just relax and feel the moment. To walk across that stage and shake the hand of the university president and know that you have made it to the finish line. That moment was the realization of Chris Chenery's advice. I have run my race, and I have reached the finish line.