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Proud to report that Daniel, the youngest of my three sons, has graduated high school. I look forward to watching him take the next steps in his journey.

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I am very proud to share that at 51 years old, I just received my Associate of Science degree in Computer Information Systems from the University of Maine at Augusta. Working full-time and going to school as a non-traditional student has been a very long 5-year journey, and many people helped me along the way. I am grateful to all of them. However, at the top of that list is my wife Fran; I probably wouldn't have completed this journey without her support. So, my shout-out is to my beautiful wife for helping me through the stressful times when I felt I couldn't make it. She inspired me, gave me strength, and helped me see there was a lot more within me than I knew.

I shared our virtual commencement with some friends and family through a Zoom meeting. In some ways, I feel as though I missed out on a significant graduation tradition; of course, I refer to crossing the stage for my diploma. However, because of a worldwide pandemic, that was not meant to be. However, I was given an opportunity, one that allowed me to share my achievement with more people than would have made the journey to Maine. This makes me think about what's more important. Is it some walk across a stage in front of a crowd of people I don't know, or is it the intimate setting of sitting with my Wife and Mother-in-Law and the people who matter most in my life? Yeah, I think we all know my answer to that question.

When I started my journey, I never believed that I would graduate magna cum laude; my hope was just to be able to pass my courses and graduate. But with each grade that I received, I learned that I am far more capable than I thought. I worked 45 hours a week with a two-hour round trip commute; I was taking two classes per semester, three semesters per year for two years. At 46 years old, that has to be the most demanding gauntlet I have ever had to run. That allowed me to finish 12 of the 18 classes, but I was running a marathon and not a sprint, so I slowed my pace down. At first, I felt as though I let myself down for not keeping up the pace. Still, as my wonderful wife reminded me, it's okay to occasionally rest, and being a relatively smart man, I listened to my wife.

Anyone who reads this and thinks they are too old to go back to school, or there isn't enough time, or I could never do that. Believe me, when I say I had those same thoughts and feelings, I learned that there were many more people who want to help us achieve our goals than we think, and we are all more capable than we believe.

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My younger daughter graduated from law school earlier this month, and I couldn’t be prouder! After Westlake High School in Austin and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she went to work for a company that does after-school and summer day camps, eventually becoming the HR manager for the company’s largest office. However, after a few years she decided to follow Mom and Dad into law, enrolling at the University of Indiana’s Maurer School of Law. She did very well, serving as an editor of the Indiana Law Journal, while also leading a group that engages 5th graders in understanding civics and legal issues. And of course, navigating all of these things in the middle of a pandemic covering almost half of her time in law school. She is courageous, compassionate, smart, capable, and has mad good people skills. Mary is an amazing young woman, and I would say that even if she weren’t my daughter. Go Mary!

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My graduate this year, my youngest son, has never been healthy. From a rare but relatively minor birth defect, to the development of uncontrolled and debilitating epilepsy around the time he started school, he's never really known what it's like to be in good health. He has grown up watching two older brothers do whatever they like, can, will - while his seizures often sidelined him. He's been in the hospital more times in his 18 years than I've ever been in my life (or probably ever will be). He's endured 3 brain surgeries, and one VNS implant surgery. He's probably more familiar with hospitals than he is with schools. He complied willingly when I decided we need to remove him from public school a couple of times, to learn at home, since he missed so many days of instruction. This, even though he's never really liked school and felt its only redeeming quality was seeing his friends. He has trouble remembering things because of his seizures and the medication to treat it; he has trouble having energy to focus and do what seems to come so easily to his peers. He sometimes has trouble believing in a future, and struggles with anxiety and depression. I never imagined he'd graduate in 2021 - I was prepared for it to take a year or two longer. And that was IF he survived childhood, which I often worried he wouldn't. But somehow, he pulled it off. He checked all the boxes, and on May 13, he became a high school graduate. I don't know what he will do or be or how long it will take (or how long I will have him) but I can't stop being so utterly grateful for seeing him cross the stage and earn his diploma.

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I would like to spotlight my son David who is graduating from middle school next month. He is an excellent student. I regularly receive emails from his teachers recognizing his efforts and enthusiasm. He is named after my father who was also an extremely smart and motivated student. I see so much of my father in him! I am bursting with pride over his accomplishments and bright future.

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Stuff to Ponder: Desert Storm ended on my 28th Birthday. Papa Benny stepped down on my 50th. (He is one of only two to step down before death.) I have more than 20 digital footprints that belong to God and his Miracles, including the Destruction of Venice and COVID. Humanity was warned, but Papa Frankie chose to hide more than seven dire warnings in 2019 and 2020. He still has every last Digital Footprint. Beyond that, the most important is the Day God set my feet upon this Wretched Path. I was 15, soon to be 16 in 1979. That is the last time Jupiter aligned with Mars, and they will not align again until 2123. I am the Messiah. 😇

"Aquarius" by the Fifth Dimension

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If God leaves on July 2nd, most people won't even notice He is gone. He will remain here with His Faithful ONLY. The rest of Humanity can duke it out until all that glitters is no longer gold. The Futility of Man. God and I are on the same page. If Humanity can't see this Biblical Moment for what it is, it never will. This is an Ode to my Brother, Jesus. Our First Messiah. ❤😇

https://youtu.be/oA1I11IeF8U

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My oldest grandchild (first of six) graduated from high school last Saturday. I was able to attend (quite iffy for a while). She graduated with honors: maintained a 3.5 GPA for all four years - two of them which were virtual. I was so very proud.

At the beginning of ceremony, after saying the Pledge of Allegiance, singing the Star Spangled Banner and listening to the Bentonville High School Alma Mater sung, the Chamber Choir sang Dolly Parton's "Light of a Clear Blue Morning". The words brought chills to our spines and tears to our eyes. If you've never heard it or read the words, I encourage you to do that. Yes, "It's been a long, dark night."

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I’m so proud of my daughter, Anna. She has just completed a BS in Accounting and has a job lined up with the firm where she interned. During her last two years, her grades were 4.0: however, that had never been the case before. She has an ongoing battle with executive functioning. Grades ranged from F, 0.0, 0% to A, 4.0, 100%. Every grading period from first grade until two years ago ended with disappointment, tears, and shame. She has climbed a mighty mountain. She’s learned so much about accounting and herself, and loves learning. I love her no matter what, and am so proud of her even if she didn’t get to wear the gold tassel of academic distinction she’d hoped for. She’s earned far more, and I’m publicly saying so here.

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I honor my 11 yr old grandson who is graduating from elementary to middle school this year. He was born at 29 weeks of gestation and has been raised up by an incredible flock of people from the amazing NICU staff to his current bilingual teachers, and his family who love him with all they have. He is a kind yet independent boy who is a brilliant reader and struggles in mathematical thinking (like his mom and uncle). He will go far! My gift to him is a key tag to go on his backpack that says "Have Fun Be Safe Make Good Choices and Call your Mom".

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Our middle child, Aubrey graduates high school June 3. It has been a fun ride, filled with extracurricular activities (thought she’d be a dinger someday, then a college volleyball player the next) and some poor choices/learning experiences along the way, too. She decided to buckle down and bring her grades up her junior year while getting a job at McDonalds where they love her! After planning on doing the 2-year transfer program from our local community college to a university she decided to apply to Cal State schools and was accepted to 4 of 6. In between all of this her boyfriend ended their 18mo relationship which blindsided us all, but turned out to be for the best. She was able to make her college decision that much easier. She’ll be attending San Francisco State (400+ mi away) in the fall as a Cinema Major. We’re in CA so we didn’t know if she’d even have a graduation ceremony, but she will and she gets to have a Prom, too! She’s 100% vaccinated, but she’s been remote learning (as have her brothers) since March 2020, so the fall is going to bring big changes to all of us with schools opening up. It’s going to be really hard to leave our only daughter “so far” away. She’s earned this adventure & I have to keep reminding myself of that. 🥰

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I finished my MASTERS degree at Columbia Teachers College this Spring! Conducting research for my thesis became extremely cumbersome when education shifted to online. I'm extremely proud of myself for having to pivot and navigate a difficult transition. Throughout my research, I discovered from my participants that students are resilient and tenacious.

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Our house flooded over last year's holiday season, so our life was already in chaos even before the pandemic. But January of 2020, our youngest (10th grade) finally decided what she wanted to do with her life...and then there was no stopping her. :)

She took both 11th and 12th grade classes this year (and over last summer) and is graduating next week -- a full year early! She's going to Arizona State on a Presidential Scholarship and got an additional small housing scholarship (so 3/4s of a free ride--LOL!).

Even through the pandemic, she stayed focused, not missing a beat as far as classes or grades. (Even her 20 credits of dual-enrollment college credits are all 4.0s.) I'm losing my "baby" a year earlier than expected, and there's probably a fair amount of "I want to be on my own and away from my parents" in her motivation, but we're obviously very proud. :)

Thanks for letting me "brag" to someone new. LOL! Congratulations to all who stuck with things through this year's hardships and are graduating!

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It's been 40 years since I graduated from high school. Where did the time go?? I can't believe it.

Unfortunately, there were no festivities planned this year due to the pandemic.

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I’m so proud of my daughters Alexis and Amanda. High school days are done. They will move on to college and I’ll graduate to the empty nest life.

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not finding a way here to drop a note directly to you Dan. Just wondering if you can add a video here - people like me who had your screen presence on TV for so long might like to have a little of that here - even a short 5 mins - you might like the ol' days too :)

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I have attended many graduations both (Undergrad and Masters) for our 3 daughters, my husband's Engineering (Undergrad and Masters) and my own College and University graduations. They all hold many wonderful memories for our family. I think the one that stands out the most is the 1992 convocation at Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario where I was asked to be the key note speaker. I addressed a number of faculties sharing my teaching experiences, life lessons and tough times too. For part of the speech, I read a story from one of the Chicken Soup for the Soul, Covering All the Bases books. During this story, I asked our oldest daughter (who at the time was about 12 years old) to come up and act out the story. Our daughter played rep baseball and continues to be a big baseball fan. The story was about a child throwing the ball up in the air and trying to hit the ball with the bat. "Strike one, strike two, strike three, you're out." WOW, I am the greatest pitcher ever!" The story emphasizes the perspective we take in life can make such a difference in our attitude and how we see the world around us. This was a meaningful fun moment for the graduates and a good lesson for them to take forward.

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Dan, I couldn’t love you more. Thank you for being the voice of reason and honesty.

I don’t have a picture yet, but next week my son, a Lt. Colonel, USMC, will be promoted to Commander of his battalion. A graduation of sorts and I am so proud I could burst!

I desperately tried to talk him out of joining the Marines, I told him he had to graduate from college first. He did a lot more than that. Although much of his service has terrified me (Iraq and Afghanistan), he was right all along. He is a dedicated and proud Marine, serving his country well.

And I am in awe, wondering how my sweet little boy became such an amazing man.

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I would like to congratulate my two military sons who have gotten thier 4 year college degree through the military while serving our country. They were boys with extreme high IQ but dyslexic. They both dropped out of school. But i knew they would succeed in life and they did through the military. Now my men our men of great integrity respectful responsible loving and productive men of society.

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Congratulations to the 2021 graduates. I have a step-grandson graduating from high school soon. Many times we did not think that he would get there, but he has under sometimes trying and life-threatening circumstances. I am glad he will have his diploma as a gateway to a better future.

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As I texted our grandson, he's to be congratulated for all the study, work and perseverance in earning his B.A., while working all through school, but the work has just begun in the next phase of his life. (Gosh, was it so long ago that I was at that stage of life?!)

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The Earth's Birthday is July 2nd. On that day this year, if nothing has changed, God is leaving. Only those who were repentant before that day will have access to the Kingdom. THERE WILL BE NO DEATHBED CONFESSIONS!!! -Our Father 😇

"The Earth will soon dissolve like snow, the sun forbear to shine, but God who called me here below will be forever mine." I am the Messiah. 😇

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Pre-COVID, our tiny church (<100 members), celebrated graduates -- high school, community college, trade school, university -- during worship with speeches and presentation of gifts followed by a "party" in the Fellowship Hall. We called it Honoring Grads Sunday. Some years we had one grad and some years more. Post-COVID, 2020 to be specific, we had two high school grads. Because we could not gather in the church for worship, we got yard signs with their names, photos, school, and a message of congratulations from the church. These were delivered (along with gifts of t-shirts and books and cards) by volunteers who drove to their homes. Each one lived in different towns and not the city where the church is located. The volunteers took photos of grads with their gifts. One young man, who rarely smiled, was grinning like a Cheshire Cat in his photo. His father told us he was seriously touched by the honor. Photos appeared in our Facebook Live worship service on Honoring Grads Sunday.

This year we have four grads -- one high school grad and three college grads. Through the summer we will have a hybrid worship -- in our small yard outdoors as well as on Facebook Live. Because we won't be worshipping in-person inside the church until probably the Fall, we're doing the same as we did for our 2020 grads to honor our grads of 2021. They make us so proud to know them.

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My daughter, Alex, is graduating HS. She is completely frustrated with HS and can't wait to graduate. She will be continuing her education at Bethesda University in California (we live in Buffalo, NY) with a basketball scholarship!! We are beyond proud, but also anxious as she will be so far away. I am so in awe of her bravery to go so far away! Of course, she hates the cold and snow so that makes sense!

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I've enjoyed all the responses to your Twitter post about graduations. So many tweets to like!

My youngest (he's 17 years old) is graduating high school in 3 weeks. I'd like to celebrate him! Trevor has the most giving and gracious personality. He is always the first to help. He's funny, lanky, awkward, sweet, and loving.

Trevor gave me many grey hairs over the course of his academic life. Not a big fan of school, even less of a fan of homework. I sat through countless parent-teacher conferences during the last dozen years. In the end he'd always pull it off. (This in contrast to his older twin sisters who did not need parent intervention to even want to succeed in school - it was innate in them.)

For the last two years Trevor has taking plumbing classes at the vocational high school, while taking required classes at our local high school. This spring he applied to both the DC and Baltimore Plumbers and Pipefitters Unions into their Apprenticeship program. We are waiting to hear but hopeful. While not a great student based on GPA, Trevor is great at math and a quick learner with an excellent attitude, and found an affinity with trade school. Last week, he was awarded a $5000 scholarship from SkillsUSA https://www.skillsusa.org/skillsusa-national-signing-day-celebrates-skilled-trades/

As a Mom super proud of my 3 kids and their diverse paths they've chosen... one becoming a plumber apprentice, one on the Dean's List studying Criminal Justice in college, and one Navy Hospital Corpsman. So much to look forward to! My motto to them growing up was you have to do something useful and contribute to society, I believe they've all hit the mark.

Congratulations to all our graduates, from pre-K to PhD, much to celebrate!

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I want to publicly congratulate my daughter, who graduated in May with a degree in history. What's remarkable about this achievement is that she did it while working more than full time, and doing a lot of volunteer work. One course at a time, she persevered, and finally achieved her goal. I'm so proud of her!

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Graduation has always been a big deal, deservedly. It's a slightly bigger deal in this time of uncertainty.

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I am in awe of the graduates from kindergarten to Ph.D. The careers, the technology they will embrace boggles my imagination.

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