May 22, 2016 will go down in my personal history as the day I could have graduated from my undergraduate program, but didn’t. Some things happened between my first move-in day and this day. I had an awesome semester studying abroad, something I had intended to do long before I even started applying to colleges. I took on two majors and a minor, all in subjects I was excited about. I’m proud of what I have been able to do in four years and I only have one semester left before my own graduation day. I have nothing to be ashamed of for not finishing my college career “on time.” Here’s why you shouldn’t feel bad either:

Remember That Our Paths Are Different And So Are Our Values.

When you’re majoring in something like education, studying abroad is not usually a viable option if you intend to graduate on time. I remember talking to my advisor and having her try and give me the choice between having a second major and a minor and studying abroad. Her goal was getting me to graduate on time. My goal was to have a college experience that I was proud of. So I decided to take both options and tack on an extra semester of my undergraduate career. Some people start undergraduate school later than is considered normal because they took a gap year after high school, earned their Associate's degree first before going to a four-year university, or just didn’t have the interest in going to college immediately after their high school graduation. Our paths and our values are different -- one is not better than the other.

Stuff Happens

While this isn’t my experience, there are some students out there who need to take a break to decide what direction they want to go in. There are some students who need to put school on the back-burner and take care of family members and personal business. And that’s okay. Life is messy and stuff happens sometimes that we just need to stop and deal with, even if the timing isn’t ideal.

One Person's Success Does Not Mean Another Person's Failure

A spring graduation or an “on time” graduation does not contain more value than a winter graduation or a “late” graduation. If someone who started school at the same time as you is graduating this semester but you’re not, what matters is that you’re graduating. Look at what you accomplished. Your graduation and your moment to celebrate is right around the corner. Be proud of your friends and celebrate with them and be proud of them, but don’t forget that you’ve done awesome things prior to your graduation too.

I watched a lot of my classmates and friends graduate this weekend, and I’ll admit, I did tear up a bit. For a little while, I was sad because I thought, “That could’ve been me,” and “Everyone is leaving me.” But this day isn’t about me. This is their graduation and their time to celebrate. In six months, I’ll have my own. And that’s okay.

Congratulations to the Spring Graduating Class of 2016! All the best to you in your future endeavors and I hope to see your name in the news for doing something great!