Adrián Pérez Boluda, Ph.D., is the chair of the modern and classical languages and literatures department at the college of humanities. You can learn more about him here.

It was a long time ago, in 1989, that my graduation took place in Spain, specifically at the University of Alicante, the city where I am from.

The truth is that in those years, the Spanish universities didn’t have celebrations like today, when a graduation in Spain is very similar to a graduation in the USA. In any case, what I do remember with nostalgia is the feeling of joy and illusion that invaded me back then. Summer was always my favorite season of the year and knowing that those hot months and long days were beginning contributed to the feeling of freedom and hope for a better future.

It was, however, a joy marred by the death of my mother a few months before. I was graduating not only for myself, but especially for her. I knew she would have been happy and proud of my achievement since I was the first in my family with a college degree. What came after is another story, but graduation was that moment of culmination of a personal effort and the beginning of another effort, also personal, that would take me thousands of miles away from Spain to be what I am today: a person basically happy, with a job he is passionate about, and a family he loves above all else.

Congratulations to all the students graduating this semester on your achievement, also the result of personal effort. I hope that your graduation day is also full of joy, excitement and happiness for you and for your loved ones.