Good afternoon, and welcome to the graduation of the Summer 2009 paralegal class.  We made it!

 

Taking this class was an impulsive decision for me, which is not unusual in the least.  I was studying for the GMAT to go back to school and get my MBA when a thought struck, I could not think of what I would even do with it.  I started my research into other career paths, talked to a paralegal, liked Law and Order, so within a couple of days I was signed up for a paralegal program that started within a couple of weeks.

 

This impulsive decision turned out to be one of the best decisions that I have ever made, not just professionally, but personally.

 

Each and every one of us graduating today has our own unique story, whether it be a career change, wanting to go on to law school, wanting a promotion in our current jobs, or just simply for our own personal knowledge.

 

We all started this journey together and we finished together.  After the first day of class I remember calling my mother and saying, “You will never believe what I got myself into this time.”  Of course she could believe it, but because she loves me she kept her mouth shut.  Every person in this class had the same reaction as I did. 

 

Every one of us agree that the past nine weeks were some of the most challenging times mentally that we had ever had to endure. There was an obscene amount of homework each week, two tests to study for each weekend, two full days worth of information to remember that was foreign to many of us, and at the same time maintain our responsibilities in our personal lives.  The latter was the first to go out the window for the majority of us.

 

Our emotions were a mixed bag.  Just when we thought we were alone in being overwhelmed, unmotivated, frustrated, we would show up to class and realize that every one of us was feeling these exact same emotions.  We learned how little sleep we could get by with (a wise individual once told us that only humans need sleep), we learned the power of caffeine and the power of a bottle of wine (at times the bottle from the corner store was just as good as the bottle from Specs).  We also learned that we needed each other and we were all in this together.

 

Our class is certainly a diverse group.  We come from different backgrounds and we all have different plans for our future, but these past nine weeks have made us put all of our differences aside and work toward the same goal, to survive this class.

 

Each of us played a part in this adventure.  Peggy, with her weekly emails titled “generic notes from midweek.”  She is a truly outstanding individual who will be an asset to any attorney that she works under. 

Sylvester, whose eyes would light up each time the word “insurance,” was said aloud.  We also just witnessed that he has a love for “leading” questions.

Jen, who was my attorney in the mock arbitration, she is probably considered a genius according to any standardized test.  She doesn’t know it yet, but she is destined to be an attorney.  

Janelle, the athlete, who casually mentioned to me, “you can always run the half marathon, it is ONLY 13 miles.”  Yeah, piece of cake.

Chris and vicodin, 

Sarah the acronym queen

Jeri who holds a job that she truly loves.

Brian who remained calm and laid back the entire nine weeks.

Idell with her creative ideas and knowledge on “real trial” proceedings.

John who has such a unique personality that kept us laughing at the most unexpected times, and has a gift of baking the best cake that we have ever put in our mouths.

Ashley is the sweetest individual that I have ever met.

Amy was the one who actually understood “hearsay.”

Heath and his knowledge on land development.

Linda and her stories about her famous employer, Stanford Financial.

Diane who should pursue a business selling her guacamole and salsa.  She would make a fortune.

Gary who could drink five energy drinks and not get the jitters.

Marty who we could sit and listen to for hours, he is a wealth of information.  His wardrobe, predominantly from Italy, is to die for.

Kim, a sophomore at UT, who spent her summer attending this class.  I admire her for it.  She will go far in her career.

Finally Jacqueline, my lunch buddy.  She juggled a very demanding job with extended  work hours while completing the program and she survived.

We had a great group and created many lasting memories.  We have helped each other make it through.

 

And Jac, I wanted to say something profound, something that would express our gratitude, but fell short.  You inspire each individual that you come into contact with.  You have forced us to think “outside the box.”  You made us want to go above and beyond what we thought our limitations were.  Thank you from us all.  Because of you we have completed a challenging chapter in our lives, and we will soon begin another with more confidence and an open mind.  This class has such an outstanding reputation in the community because of you.

 

In closing, I would like to thank everyone present this afternoon:  Our spouses, significant others, children, parents, and friends.  Each one of you played a role in our success, whether it be for a sounding board, buying ink cartridges in the middle of the night without saying a word, grocery shopping, clarifying what a preposition is, or simple staying out of the room so we could be alone during our minor breakdowns.  You were there for us and we will never forget.

 

Of course I have to be a bit traditional and end with a quote, one that we have heard many times before, but is so fitting for this occasion.  In the words of Thomas Edison, “If we did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves.”

 

To the summer 2009 paralegal class, we did it!