One of my heroes in this world is my sister S. Last month, she graduated as a PA from Yale.
I still remember the day I found out that she would be going there. I sat in a cyber café in northern Argentina, and as I read the e-mail she sent me containing the news, I started balling. The kids playing computer games looked over at me, but as a tall foreigner, I was already weird. They turned back to their screens. My tears of joy continued streaming. Sarah was so solid as an undergrad that it really wasn’t surprising that she got accepted to the program along with a scholarship, I was emotional because she is one person who could have named a lot of legitimate excuses in forsaking her dreams - but she never did.
The graduation was wonderful. Lots of family came into town and IE and I had the privilege of staying with S and her roommates - they were wonderful hostesses to all of us.
On Sunday, we all went to the New Haven YSA ward where we were very well-received, and on Monday, Sarah graduated! I loved the speaker’s sincerity- he spoke of being compassionate medical practitioners, and of his experience with Sarah’s graduating class being kind and professional.
When the graduates turned around to clap for the people who had supported them in their long academic journey to that point, I couldn’t help myself from crying again. To see S so triumphant and happy (who wouldn’t be happy after finishing that monster of a thesis) has been one of the most special moments of my life.
The photo of Grandma I think highlights very well what many of us might be feeling_ “Congrats, S! What’s next?”
