The GWG

aka the

Graduation Waiting Game 

I would be graduating today from Utah State, but I have to wait... till Fall of 2019. That seems like a long way away especially when I started college back in 2011. I knew my major since my 2nd semester of my freshman year. I don't really remember how I decided to do special education because at the beginning of my college career it was suggested to me by a friend and I said absolutely not. Somehow my Heavenly Father led me that career field and looking back I feel like I have always had that as my goal. It is something that I have grown to love so much. 

I had my school life planned and I knew that I would graduate in the perfect time frame. I finished all my pre-reqs so I could apply for my major. I left on my mission in the summer of 2013 knowing I would return and apply to the special education program in the Fall 2015 semester (the only time they accept applicants). When I returned home from my mission I learned that in my absence they added another math class that I needed to take before I could apply to the program. Frustrating, yes. Also meaning that I could not apply to the program for another year because the math class had to be completed before applying. And since I had not taken math for over a year I needed to go back a math class before taking the one I actually needed. Frustrating but all doable. 

After the 2015-2016 school year Andrew and I got married. We tried to make Logan work so I could finish my school. We even had an apartment to move in to but we strongly felt that we should stay in Provo and 3 days before moving to Logan we cancelled all moving plans and we stayed put. 

I had applied to BYU earlier in the year and I got in and I looked into their special education program but it did not feel like it was right for me. I really tried but it did not fit. Plus USU is #26 or something like that in the nation for their education program and BYU is lower but BYU was making me take extra tests and take extra classes to apply to their program and my graduation date would be in 2020. 

No thank you. 

I tried UVU. They had just added a special education program but did not have my emphasis. UVU was out. 

At the very last minute we found that USU had a distance education program in the Provo area and that they only accept applicants to the special education distance program every 2 years and 2016 was a year to apply! Can you talk about a miracle?! And even though I would be a part time student I would graduate at the same time if I were in Logan doing full time! (I don't know how that's possible but it works). 

The distance education adviser was so sweet and helped me every step of the way. My math score was one point lower on the ACT than they wanted but since I had done well in my previous math classes, had a good GPA, and it was just one point, they waived that (thank goodness). Seriously miracle after miracle. I applied to the program I was accepted! Yay! 

However I could not take classes in the Fall 2016 semester because none of the classes I needed were being offered at USU and the "equivalents" to the classes I needed would not transfer to USU from BYU or UVU so I took a semester off. I finally took classes this past semester and it was so nice to not be taking gen-eds for once! I was actually really interested in my classes. I would be graduating in May of 2019! Yes it is far off but there was a date! 

Then a month ago, the special education program cancelled their summer classes which means graduation was postponed for one more semester. Good and bad. I get my summers but another semester was added to my already long awaited graduation date. 

However after all this mess I have seen how God truly cares because of the miracles that have taken place and I know they will continue to. Also while I am in the distance education program my classes are at night so during the day I have the opportunity to gain experience in a special education classroom being an aide-- and I get paid to do it. I have learned so much doing that this past year and I am so grateful that I have been given that.

While most of my friends have graduated already or are accomplishing that this year, I'm still waiting for my turn. But that's ok because it's coming. I know that I have done everything that I can to move towards this goal. It will happen but in the meantime I get real life experience in a classroom, I get to work more hours = more money, and I am at USU and I know that is where I need to be. 

And because I was so uncertain of where my college life was taking me I decided to graduate with my associates degree last May (I had more than enough credits to graduate with) and they gave me a free cap and gown.  

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